
Class. 
Book 



liH 



PRESENTED BY 



/ 



IN THE BEGINNING 



A SKETCH OF SOME EARLY EVENTS IN 

WESTERN WASHINGTON WHILE IT 

WAS STILL A PART OF 

"OLD OREGON." 



By CLAKENCE B. BAGIiEY 



SEATTLE 

LOWMAN & HANFORD 

STATIONERY AND PRINTING CO. 

1905 



f^9^'<:-^ 



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Gift 
Author 

!2?" '05 



IN THE BEGINNING 



Bt clahence b. bagley 

During the past two years it has been my good fortune to 
delve at will among the old records and correspondence of 
the early days at old Fort Nisqually, the earliest white man's 
home in what is now Western Washington. This has given 
me a clearer insight into the manners and customs of its 
people than any course of mere book reading. 

To the citizens of the United States, to-day, it seems 
hardly possible that the English people could have honestly 
believed they had a just claim to any part of our present 
territory. In fact most of our people think we were cheated 
out of a large slice of territory when, by the treaty of 1846, 
our northern boundary was brought down from 54 deg., 40 
min., to 49 deg. 

On the other hand, no doubt of the ultimate settlement of 
this long-standing dispute between the two English speak- 
ing nations, by adopting the Columbia river as the natural 
boundary, appears in the old documents mentioned above, 
or in the published works of the Englishmen who wrote of 
this north-west prior to 1845. 

This international dispute became a personal one between 
the American citizens of Old Oregon on one side, and the 
officers and adherents of the Hudson's Bay Company on the 
other. Since the wars of the revolution and of 1812 down to 
recent years it was a favorite pastime of the individual and 
collective Yankee to "twist the tail of the British lion," and 
the early immigrants from the valley of the Mississippi to 
the valley of the Willamette and the shores of Puget Sound 
kept alive the national custom. It is matter for wonder- 



4 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

ment that, in the face of so much brag-gadocio and bluster, 
the officers of that mightiest corporation of the i8th and 
19th centuries maintained, as they did, so much of dignified 
forbearance, of kindly courtesy and of generous hospitality. 
To this every unbiased writer has given testimony from the 
beginning of American settlement in the early 'thirties. 

A classic among the literature of life and travel in sub- 
artic regions, is "The Wild Northland," by General Sir 
William Francis Butler, K. C. B., it being a story of a winter 
journey with dogs, across northern North America, in the 
winter of 1872. 

It is one of his notable characteristics to suddenly break 
away from the main narrative, with an interlude of gorgeous 
word-painting of some object of natural scenery or to dis- 
cuss, more or less briefly, some public question, past or 
present. In one of these aberrations he remarked : 

"From the base of the great range of the Rocky Moun- 
tains, the continent of British x^merica slopes toward the 
north and east, until unbroken by one mountain summit, 
but in a profound and lasting dissolution, it dips its shaggy 
arms and icebound capes into a sea as drear and desolate. 

"Long before a citizen of the United States had crossed 
the Missouri, Canadian explorers had reached the Rocky 
Mountains and penetrated through their fastnesses to the 
Pacific ; and British and Canadian fur traders had grown old 
in their forts across the continent before Lewis and Clark, 
the pioneers of American exploration, had passed the Mis- 
souri. Discovered by a British sailor, explored by British 
subjects, it might well have been supposed that the great 
region along the Pacific slope, known to us as Oregon, be- 
longed indisputably to England ; but at some new treaty 
"rectification" the old story was once more repeated, and the 
unlucky 49th parallel again selected to carry across the 
mountains to the Pacific Ocean the same record of British 
bungling and American astuteness, which the Atlantic had 
witnessed sixty years earlier on the rugged estuary of the 
St. Croix. 

"Unincumbered by the trappings of diplomatic tradition, 
Jefferson saw, vaguely perhaps, but still with prescient 
knowledge, the empire which it was possible to build in 



INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY DISPUTE. 5 

that western wild ; and as every shifting scene in the out- 
side world's politics, called up some new occasion for boun- 
dary rearrangement, or treaty rectification, he grasped 
eagerly at a fresh foothold, an additional scrap of territory, 
in that land which was to him an unborn empire, to us a 
half-forgotten wilderness." 

The titled author of the foregoing is guilty of several 
perversions of historical accuracy. Mackenzie was the first 
British subject to reach the Pacific Ocean by an overland 
trip, which he did on the 23d day of July, 1793, at the mouth 
of an inlet called the Cascade Canal, into which the Salmon 
river empties, and where was located one of the Hudson's 
Bay Company's posts. Fort McLaughlin ; but an American, 
Kendrick, in the American ship, Washington, had sailed 
around what was later called Vancouver's Island in 1789. 
My edition of Meares' voyage, printed in 1791, has a large 
map that gives the sailing route of Kendrick's ship clearly 
marked on it. 

In 179* Gray discovered the Columbia river, and in 1805, 
one hundred years ago, the American explorers followed the 
course of one of the branches of that river from the Rocky 
Mountains down to the Columbia and thence to the sea. 
This expedition aroused the jealousy of the British govern- 
ment and trading companies. Its progress was watched 
by agents of the British Association, and preparations were 
made to anticipate the Americans in the settlement of this 
part of the continent. A party of the North-west Company's 
men was despatched in 1805 for this purpose, but failed to 
cross the Rocky Mountains. In 1806, another party, led by 
Simon Fraser, crossed the Rocky Mountains near the pass- 
age of the Peace river, and formed a trading establishment 
on Fraser's Lake, in latitude 54 deg. This was the first 
settlement or post of any kind made by British subjects west 
of the Rocky Mountains. Other posts were formed, later, 
in New Caledonia, as this country was called by the British 
traders, but no evidence was ever brought out that any of 
the waters of the Columbia, or the country through which 



6 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

they flow, was ever seen by persons in the service of the 
North-west Company until i8ii, when a party of said Com- 
pany's men attempted to forestall Astor in occupying the 
mouth of the Columbia river. They arrived there July 
15th of that year, but Capt. Thorne had sailed Astor's ship, 
Tonquin, over that river's bar the 24th of March, previous, 
and the large party it carried at once began a settlement 
which they called Astoria. They also founded another post 
at Fort Okanogan. 

Because of the war of 1812 with England, these posts were 
abandoned and their goods sold to the North-west Company. 
In 1818, these posts were restored to the United States by 
the terms of the treaty of peace following said war. 

In 1818, the North-west Company established a post near 
where the Walla Walla empties into the Columbia, and 
for perhaps fifty years it was called Fort Walla Walla, but, 
later, the place became known as Wallula, and Walla Walla 
was founded about thirty miles inland. 

For many years there had been bitter rivalry between the 
North-west Company and the Hudson's Bay Company, but 
in 1821 they entered into partnership. Prior to this time the 
latter Company had no foothold on the Pacific Coast, but 
the new company took the name of the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany. In 1823, John McLaughlin was appointed to take 
charge of the Columbia district, and for a time he made 
his headquarters at Fort George, as Astoria was then called. 

In 1825, attracted by the natural beauty of the place, sur- 
rounded by rich bottom lands and good grazing, nearby, 
Fort Vancouver was established on the present site of the 
City of that name on the north bank of the Columbia river 
about six miles above where the Willamette empties its 
waters. In 1827, Fort Langley was founded on the south 
bank of the Fraser river, about thirty miles from its mouth, 
and very soon a large amount of business was done between 
that post and Fort Vancouver, by way of the ocean and 
Columbia river, and up the Sound to Nisqually, and thence 



OLD FORT NISQUALLY. 7 

overland to the Columbia river and up that stream to Van- 
couver. 

Lying in the northern angle formed by the Nisqually river 
and the Sound is one of the world's beauty spots. No grand 
park of human creation rivals its charm of undulating plain ; 
its silvery lakes with pebbly beaches, nestling among de- 
tached or winding groves whose vivid green of oak, maple, 
alder and dogwood brightens the somber hues of the prevail- 
ing evergreens. The old gray oaks, with silver-threaded 
mosses pendant from every gnarled limb, are almost coeval 
with the snow-capped mountains off toward sunrise. Here 
and there big pines and firs, parents of the younger brood 
that crowd each other for breath of air and ray of sunshine, 
stand sentinel guard over all this loveliness. Evergreen 
cones are all about, whose lower branches caress buttercup, 
larkspur, violet, strawberry blossom and other sweet flow- 
ers amid the grasses at their feet and whose tops are already 
reaching to the shoulders of their progenitors. 

On the crest of a hill overlooking the waters of the bay 
and the dozen islands that off toward the west seem to 
mingle with the foothills of the Olympics, one of the many 
little prairies boldly thrust itself over the almost precipitous 
hillside seventy years ago. To-day, it has been driven back- 
ward a full mile by a growth of firs that rise in the air a hun- 
dred feet, or more, and have a girth of that many inches at 
their bases. 

Here, within a stone throw of the down sweep of the hill- 
side, shrewd, hardy, brave and venturesome Archibald Mc- 
Donald, one of the chief traders of the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany, erected the first white man's habitation on all this in- 
land sea. There were the fort buildings, barns, blacksmith 
shop, cabins and other outbuildings, all inclosed within a 
strong and high stockade, with its bastioned corners. A 
little creek brought the waters of the lakes a few miles away 
down to the sea. The prairies extending north and east for 
miles were then covered with rich and luxuriant grasses, 



S PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

which in the next few years fattened many thousands of 
sheep and cattle. 

Here is the first entry in the "Journal of Occurrences at 
Nisqually House" : 

"May 30th, 1833, Thursday. Arrived here this afternoon 
from the Columbia with four men, four oxen and four horses, 
after a journey of fourteen days, expecting to have found 
the schooner Vancouver lying here. She sailed the after- 
noon of the same day we started, with trading goods, pro- 
visions, potatoes, seeds, etc., bound for Nisqually Bay, where 
we have now determined, should everything come up to 
expectation, to locate an establishment. While on a trading 
expedition down Sound, last Spring, with eight or nine men, 
I applied about twelve days of our time to the erecting 
of a store-house 15x20 feet, and left Wm. Ouvrie and two 
other hands under him, in charge of a few blankets, a couple 
kegs of potatoes, and some small garden seeds, when I re- 
turned to the Columbia on the 20th of April. This is all 
the semblance of settlement there is this moment, but, little 
as it is, it possesses an advantage over all the other settle- 
ments we have made on the Coast. IMr. Yale, in conse- 
quence of a note to that effect, sent him from home by 
Indians, six weeks ago, forwarded, the other day, four men 
out of thirteen left with him at Fort Langley, middle of 
February, which now makes our total number at Nisqually 
House elc'/en hands. I have with me, at this moment. Dr. 
Tolmie, a young gentlemen lately arrived from England as 
surgeon for the Company, and bound for the Northern 
Estate in the Vancouver, but did me the pleasure of his 
company across land this far." 

It is not often that we find in the early records such exact 
statements of fact and dates as the above. 

The summer of 1833 "^^as mostly consumed in the erection 
of buildings and stockade and making a wagon road down 
the steep bank from near the fort to the landing. 

The main building was 55 feet long, 20 feet wide, with 
walls 12 feet high. The sills, posts, studding, and floor 
beams and flooring were hewed out of logs ; and, as all the 
men were inexperienced, at this kind of labor, the task 
was severe and long continued. The buildings were all 



DR. TOLMIE AS MISSIONARY. 9 

covered with large pieces of cedar bark held in place by 
timbers. The outer enclosure was about 250 feet long and 
200 wide, and at the corners four bastions, constructed of 
squared oak logs, were erected. 

In the early part of winter a saw pit was fitted up where 
boards were sawed out by hand — a laborious process well 
known to frontiersmen as "whip-sawing.' These boards 
were used for doors, shelving, gates and rough furniture. 
An immense chimney, constructed of sticks plastered with 
clay, served to warm the chief officer's living room. 

Their first vehicles were home made, and almost wholly 
of wood. Wheels, round disks sawed from oak logs, axles 
large and of oak, with wooden linch pins. Whoever has 
heard the frightful noise emitted by these primitive carts 
or wagons when in motion has never forgotten it. A mod- 
ern electric car, driven around an ungreased curve, for a 
second or two wails and screams somewhat after the fashion 
of these old-time "go-carts," but every motion of the latter 
served to announce its sufferings. These carts were hauled 
by oxen and served to transport the company goods up and 
down the beach road, to bring in the grain from the fields 
and to bring in the immense quantities of fuel consumed 
within the precincts of the station. 

An entry of July 21, 1833, Sunday, shows somewhat of the 
attitude of the officers at the station in their dealings with 
the Indians, and of the wish to set a good example before 
them. It is, "No skins traded today, the Indians having 
been informed, last night, that we intended in future not to 
trade on Sunday." 

Dr. Tolmie records in his diary the following: "Today, 
the Indians assembled in front of house to the number of 
seventy or eighty, male and female. With Brown as inter- 
preter, who spoke in Chinook, Heron and I explained the 
Creation of the world, the reason why Christians and Jews 
abstained from work on Sunday ; and had got as far as the 
Deluge in sacred history, when we were requested to stop, 
as the Indians could not comprehend things clearly." 



10 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

Miss Jennie W. Tolmie wrote a few days ago, giving me 
the foregoing. She adds : "My father was much interested 
in missionary work ; in fact, at one time, he thought of 
leaving the H. B. Co., and becoming a missionary. I re- 
member driving to Nisqually from Tacoma, many years 
ago, and stopping at a farm house where an old, white- 
haired man was leaning over the gate. When my aunt, Mrs. 
Edward Huggins, told him who we were, he said 'your 
father taught my wife the Lord's Prayer.' " 

The foregoing is the first mention I have found of relig- 
ious instruction being given to the Indians in this North- 
west. The missionaries did not arrive until later — the 
Methodists in September of 1834, nearly a year later, the 
Presbyterians and Congregationalists and Episcopalians in 
1836, and the Catholics in 1838, so these lone gentlemen on 
the shores of Puget Sound were the pioneer preachers in 
"Old Oregon." 

Thereafter, for a long time, the Sunday record shows that 
the Indians assembled regularly to listen to religious in- 
struction. 

"Sunday, Dec. 22d, 1833. Cold, frosty weather. Several 
Indian families came in as usual to get some religious in- 
struction. I began to give them some instruction soon 
after my arrival, which they treated with much indifference ; 
but, have at last succeeded in altering their savage nature 
so far that they not only listen with attention to what I 
tell them, but actually practice it." 

"Sunday, August 10, 1834. The natives assembled and re- 
quested me to point out to them what was proper for them 
to act in regard to our Divine Being. I told them that they 
should endeavor to keep their hands from killing and steal- 
ing, to love one another, and to pray only to the Great 
Master of Life, or, as they say, the Great Chief who resides 
on high. In fact I did my best to make them understand 
Good from Evil. They, on their part, promised fair, and 
had their devotional dance, for without it they would think 
very little of what we say to them." 

This simple narrative of the beginning of a great work, 
that of the teaching the natives Good from Evil, and that is 
the whole law, that too by laymen spending long years of 



FIRST ASCENT OF MT. RAINIER. 11 

exile in a savage land, is an eloquent testimony to the manly 
virtues of Doctor William F. Tolmie and Francis Herron. 
It was penned before Lee, Whitman, Spalding, Hines or 
Eells had taken up the same work in the valleys of the 
Columbia and the Willamette, and it has remained hidden 
in old, worm-eaten diaries and record books for more than 
seventy )'ears. The writers and all their associates and the 
simple-minded people they sought to elevate in moral life 
have been dead for many, many years. 

Little is known of Mr. Herron. He was transferred to 
another post and died early in 1841. 

Dr. Tolmie had much freedom of action, not being con- 
fined to the daily routine of life at the station ; so, late in 
the summer, he made a trip to ]\It. Rainier, the first by a 
white man, and it will be seen that to him belongs the credit 
of discovering its glaciers. His daughter, mentioned else- 
where, copied for me from her -father's diary the part re- 
lating to this "botanizing expedition" as follows : 

August 27, 1833. Obtained Mr. Herron's consent to mak- 
ing a botanizing excursion to Mt. Rainier, for which he has 
allowed 10 days. Have engaged two horses from a chief 
living in that quarter, who came here tonight, and Lachalet 
is to be my guide. Told the Indians I am going to Mt. Rain- 
ier to gather herbs of which to make medicine, part of which 
is to be sent to Britain and part retained in case intermittent 
fever should visit us when I will prescribe for the Indians. 

Aug. 28. A tremendous thunder storm occurred last 
night, succeeded by torrents of rain. The thunder was very 
hard, and the lightning flashing completely enlightened my 
apartment. Have been chatting with Mr. Herron about 
colonizing Whidby's Island, a project of which he is at 
present quite full — more anon. No horses have appeared. 
Understand that the mountain is four days' journey dis- 
tant — the first of which can only be performed on horse- 
back. If they do not appear tomorrow I shall start with 
Lachalet on foot. 

Aug. 29. Prairie 8 miles N. of home. Sunset. Busy 
making arrangements for journey, and while thus occupied, 
the guide arrived with 3 horses. Started about 3, mounted 
on a strong iron grey, mv companions disposing of them- 
selves on the other two horses, except one, who walked. 



12 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

We were 6 in number. I have engaged Lachalet for a 
blanket, and his nephew, Lashima, for ammunition to ac- 
company me and IMuckalkut and Poyalip (whom I took for 
a native of Mt. Rainier) with 2 horses to be guide on the 
mountain and after leaving the horse track, and Quilliliaish, 
his relative, a very active, strong fellow, has volunteered to 
accompany me. The Indians are all in great hopes of kill- 
ing elk and chevriel (deer), and Lachalet has already been 
selling and promising the grease he is to get. It is in a 
great measure the expectation of finding game that urges 
them to undertake the journey. Cantered slowly along the 
prairie and are now at the residence of Nuckalkut's father's, 
under the shade of a lofty pine, in a grassy amphitheatre, 
beautifully interspersed and surrounded with oaks, and 
through the gaps in the circle we see the broad plain ex- 
tending southwards to Nisqually. In a hollow immediately 
behind is a small lake whose surface is almost one sheet 
of water lillies about to flower. Have supped on sallals ; 
at dusk shall turn in. 

Aug. 30. Sandy beach of Poyallipa River. Slept ill last 
night, and as I dozed in the morning was aroused by a stroke 
across the thigh from a large decayed branch which fell 
from the pine overshadowing us. A drizzling rain fell dur- 
ing most of the night. Got up about dawn, and finding 
thigh stifif and painful thought a stop put to the journey, 
but after moving about it felt easier. Started about sunrise, 
I mounted on a spirited brown mare, the rest on passable 
animals, except Nuckalkut, who bestrode a foal. Made a 
north-easterly course through prairie. Breakfasted on bread, 
sallal, dried cockels and a small piece of chevreil saved from 
the last night's repast of my companions (for I cannot call 
them attendants). The points of wood now became broader, 
and the intervening plain degenerated into prairions. Stop- 
ped about I P. M. at the abode of 3 Lekatat families, who 
met us rank and file at the door to shake hands. Their 
sheds were made of bark resting on a horizontal pole, sup- 
ported at each end by tripods, and showed an abundance of 
elk's flesh dried within. Two kettles were filled with this, 
and after smoking, my Indians made a savage repast on the 
meat and boullion, Lachalet saying it was the Indian custom 
to eat a great deal at once and afterwards abstain for a time ; 
he, however, has twice eaten since 11. Traded some dried 
meat for 4 balls and 3 rings, and mounting, rode off in the 
midst of a heavy shower. Ascended and descended at diflF- 



FIRST ASCENT OF MT. RAINIER. 13 

erent times several steep banks and passed through dense 
and tangled thickets, occasionally coming on a prairion. 
The soil was throughout was of the same nature as that 
of Nusqually. After descending a very steep bank came to 
the Poyallipa. Lashima carried the baggage across on his 
head. Rode to the opposite side through a rich alluvial soil 
plain, 3 or 4 miles in length and % to i in breadth. It is 
covered with fern about 8 feet high in some parts. Passed 
through Avoods and crossed river several times. About 7 
P. M. dismounted and the horses and accoutrements were 
left in a wood at the river's brink. Started now on foot for 
a house Nuckalkut knew and after traversing woods and 
twice crossing the torrents "on the unstedfast footing" of a 
log, arrived at the house, which was a deserted one, and 
encamped on the dry part of the river bed, along which 
our course lies tomorrow. The Poyallipa flows rapidly and 
is about 10 or 12 yards broad. Its banks are high and cov- 
ered with lofty cedars and pines. The water is of a dirty 
white colour, being impregnated with white clay. Lachalet 
has tonight been trying to dissuade me from going to the 
snow on the mountains. 

Aug. 31. Slept well, and in the morning two salmon were 
caught on which we are to breakfast before starting. After 
breakfast Quilliliaish stuck the gills and sound of the fish 
on a spit which stood before the fire, so that the next comer 
might know that salmon could be obtained there. Have 
travelled nearly the whole day through a wood of cedar 
and pine, surface very uneven, and after ascending the bed 
of river a couple of miles are now encamped about 10 yards 
from its margin in the wood. Find myself very inferior to 
my companions in the power of enduring fatigue. Their 
pace is a smart trot which soon obliges me to rest. The 
waters of the Poyallipa are still of the same colour. Can 
see a short distance up two lofty hills covered with wood. 
Evening cloudy and rainy. Showery all day. 

Sunday, Sept. i. Bank of Poyallipa river. It has rained 
all night and is now, 6 A. M., pouring down. Are a good 
deal sheltered by the trees. My companions are all snooz- 
ing. Shall presently arouse them and hold a council of war. 
The prospect is very discouraging. Our provisions will 
be expended and Lachalat said he thought the river would 
be too high to be fordable in either direction. Had dried 
meat boiled in a cedar bark kettle for breakfast. I got rig- 
ged out in green blanket without trowsers, in Indian style, 



14 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

and trudged on through the wood. Afterward exchanged 
blanket with Lachalat for Ouvrie's capot, which has been 
on almost every Indian at Nusqually. However, I found it 
more convenient than the blanket. Our course lay up the 
river, which we crossed frequently. The bed is clayey in 
most parts. Saw the sawbill duck once or twice and I fired 
twice, unsuccessfully. Have been flanked on both sides with 
high, pineclad hills for some miles. A short distance above 
encampment snow can be seen. It having rained almost 
incessantly have encamped under shelving bank which has 
been undermined by the river. Immense stones only held 
in place by dried roots, form the roof and the floor is very 
rugged. Have supped on berries, which, when heated, with 
stones in kettle, taste like lozenges. Propose tomorrow to 
ascend one of the snowy peaks above. 

Sept. 2. Summit of a snowy peak immediately under 
Rainier. Passed a very uncomfortable night in our trog- 
lodite mansion. Ascended the river for 3 miles to where it 
was shut in by amphitheatre of mountains and could be 
seen bounding over a lofty precipice above. Ascended that 
which showed most snow. Our track lay at first through 
a dense wood of pine, but we afterwards emerged into an 
exuberantly verdant gully closed on each side by lofty preci- 
pices. Followed gully to near the svimmit and found ex- 
cellent berries in abundance. It contained very few Alpine 
plants. Afterwards came to a grassy mound where the 
sight of several decayed trees induced us to encamp. After 
tea I set out with Lachalat and Nuckalkut for the summit 
which was ankle deep with snow for J4 niile downwards. 
The summit terminated in abrupt precipice Northwards and 
bearing N. E. from Mt. Rainier the adjoining peak. The 
mists were at times very dense but a puff of S. W. wind 
occasionally dispelled them. On the S. side of Poyallipa is 
a range of snow dappled mountains, and they as well as 
that on the N. side terminate in Mt. Rainier. Collected a 
vasculum of plants at the snow, and having examined and 
packed them shall turn in. Thermometer at base 54 deg., 
at summit of ascent 47 deg. 

Sept. 3. Woody islet on Poyallipa. It rained heavily 
during night, but about dawn the wind shifting to the N. 
E. dispersed the clouds and frost set in. Lay shivering all 
night and roused my companions twice to rekindle the fire. 
At sunrise accompanied by Ouilliliaish went to the summit 
and found the tempr. of the air 33 deg. The snow was 



DISCOVERY OF GLACIERS. 15 

spangled and sparkled brightly in the bright sunshine. It 
was crisp and only yielded a couple of inches to the pressure 
of foot in walking. Mt. Rainier appeared surpassingly 
splendid and magnificient; it bore, from the peak on which 
I stood, S. S. E. and was separated from it only by a narrow 
glen, whose sides however were formed by inaccessible 
precipices. Got all my bearings correctly today, the atmos- 
phere being clear and every object distinctly perceived. 
The river flows at first in a northerly direction from the 
mountain. The snow on the summit of the mountain ad- 
joining Rainier on western side of Poyallipa is continuous 
with that of latter, and thus the S. Western aspect of Rainier 
seemed the most accessible. By ascending the first moun- 
tain through a gully on its Northern side, you reach the 
eternal snow of Rainier and for a long distance afterwards 
the ascent is very gradual, but then it becomes abrupt in the 
sugar loaf form assumed by the mountain. Its eastern side 
is steep on its Northern aspect. A few small glaciers were 
seen on the conical portion ; below that the mountain is 
composed of bare rock, apparently volcanic, which about 
50 yards in breadth reaches from the snow to the valley be- 
neath and is bounded on each side by bold bluff crags scant- 
ily covered with stunted pines. Its surface is generally 
smooth but here and there raised into small points or knots, 
or arrowed with short and narrow longitudinal lines in 
which snow lay. From the snow on western border the Poy- 
allipa arose, and in its course down this rock slope was 
fenced in to the eastward by a regular elevation of the rock 
in the form of a wall or dyke, which, at the distance I 
viewed it, seemed about four feet high and four hundred 
yards in length. Two pyramids of rock arose from the 
gentle acclivity at S. W. extremity of mountain, and around 
each the drifting snow had accumulated in large quantity, 
forming a basin apparently of great depth. Here I also 
perceived, peeping from their snowy covering, two lines of 
dyke similar to that already mentioned. 

Sept. 4. Am tonight encamped on a small eminence near 
the commencement of prairie. Had a tedious walk through 
the wood bordering Poyallipa, but accomplished it in much 
shorter time than formerly. Evening fine. 

Sept. 5. Nusqually. Reached Tekatat camp in the fore- 
noon and regaled on boiled elk and shallon. Pushed on 
ahead with Lachalet and Ouilliliaish, and arrived here in 
the evening, where all is well. 



16 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

"Lachalet," so often referred to here was the hereditary 
chief of the Nisqually tribe and a man of importance with 
the Hudson's Bay and Agricultural Companies for many 
years. At his death the tribe refused to allow his sons to 
succeed him and remained without a chief until about 1854 
when Governor Stevens appointed Quiemuth and Leschi 
chiefs of the tribe, which appears to have willingly accepted 
their leadership. 

Early in November, 1833, Doctor Tolmie sailed on the 
Cadboro for Fort McLaughlin, to which place he had 
started when he came to Nisqually. In a few days Mr. 
Heron, who was then in charge, started with two boats 
laden with goods, tools and provisions to establish a post on 
the large prairie on Whidby Island, that had been selected 
for that purpose at an earlier date. They were overtaken 
by a gale of wind and narrowly escaped being swamped, 
but finally got ashore, though the boats became separated. 
This led to a return to the Fort. A higher sort of servant 
had been left in charge, but during the short absence of the 
chief trader matters had got into such bad shape the plan 
of establishing the other post was abandoned for the time 
being, and, in fact, was never revived. 

June 9, 1834, Mr. Heron writes in the journal, "About 2 
p. m., we heard a couple of cannon shot ; soon after I started 
in a canoe with six men, and went on board the Llama, 
with the pleasure of taking tea with McNeil, who pointed 
out two Chinese he picked up from the natives near Cape 
Flattery, where a vessel of that nation had been wrecked 
not long since. There is one still amongst the Indians, in- 
land, but a promise was made of getting the poor fellow on 
the Coast by the time the Llama gets there." 

As a matter of fact, these were Japanese, and the third 
man was rescued later. They had lost command of their 
junk and drifted before the storms across the ocean and 
driven ashore near Cape Flattery. They had many com- 
panions, but only these escaped. Later, they were sent 
to China, and an effort made to get them home to Japan, 



JAPANESE CASTAWAYS. 17 

but as this was long before that country was thrown open to 
other nations, it is generally thought they never reached 
their native land. 

June nth, "All the outfit safely landed and received safely 
in store. The cattle were also got out; they are very wild 
and wicked ; one of the cows wounded one of the men, 
William Brown, in the groin and nearly killed a couple 
more. The cattle received are three cows with their calves, 
and a bull." These came from the Company's farm at Van- 
couver. This was the beginning of an industry that in 
later years attained immense proportions, so much so, that 
at times cattle were slaughtered by the hundreds for their 
hides alone. 

Soon after the establishment of Fort Vancouver, the Com- 
pany had driven what were always called in early days, 
"Spanish" cattle, overland from the Mexican settlements 
in California. This breed was slim, active, hardy, long- 
horned, vicious, and poor milkers, but they bred like rabbits, 
almost, and it did not take long for the owner of a few cows 
to have a large herd around him. In a few years the Com- 
pany sent numbers of these cattle to their posts in the in- 
terior of the Columbia basin, where they throve amazingly. 
After a time it was found that Nisqually was better fitted 
for their herds and flocks than the more exposed eastern 
stations and it was decided to make a transfer. An old 
manuscript in the handwriting of A. C. Anderson, gives the 
following: 

"After harvest in 1841, I set out with a party of men 
to receive a number of cattle transferred from the Hud- 
son's Bay Company to the Puget Sound Agricultural 
Company from the posts of Nez Perces, Colville, and Oka- 
nagan. We crossed the Cascade range over the northwest 
shoulder of Mt. Rainier, by the Sinahomish pass, (Now, I 
think the Snoqualmie pass — Edward Huggins.) We fol- 
lowed an Indian trail, but expended a good deal of labor 
in parts to render it passable for our return. Met the party 
conducting the cattle low down on the "Yachimah" river, 
on the Swanapun branch. Hired some Yachimah Indians 
to assist in driving. Left the greater portion of the party 



IS PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

to herd the cattle near the verge of the mountains so as to 
recruit. Returned to Nisqually with a man to procure pro- 
visions and further assistance. Met the party and returned 
with them, bringing the cattle through to the Nisqually 
plains, with some loss, by estrays on the way, some of which, 
if not most of them, probably, afterwards reached the same 
locality, following on the trail of the herd. In October, I 
had orders to proceed to Vancouver. A large herd reached 
Nisqually just as I was leaving. Others were on the way. 
A large number of ewes were introduced at the same time. 
These were the results of purchase made that summer in 
California by Chief Factor, now Sir James Douglas. They 
were driven up by land via the Umpqua and Willamette 
valleys. I cannot state the numbers, leaving Nisqually as 
I have said just as they were arriving. There were a good 
many swine, used chiefly for provisioning the people. No 
settlers in the country at this time, and only the Wesleyan 
Mission, under Dr. Richmond, near the present site of the 
Fort, with the aid and concurrence of the Company. The 
dairy was conducted by an Englishwoman, whose husband 
superintended the farming operations." 

Here is one of the troubles of these old books and papers. 
They give enough to whet one's curiosity, and then leave 
out so much that would have been interesting and oftimes 
valuable information. How easy it would have been for 
Mr. Anderson to give the numbers of that first drove over 
the mountains. It must have been an immense one to re- 
quire so much help, for when cattle have been driven to- 
gether for a few days, they follow the leader, with very 
little attempt at scattering. Two of us, A. S. Mercer and I, 
drove over from near Salem, Oregon, in 1863, first to Port- 
land, then by steamer to Monticello, at the mouth of the 
Cowlitz river, and from there to Seattle, by land, more than 
two dozen cows, without any loss, or serious difficulty. 
There must have been several hundreds and, probably, thou- 
sands in that early day drove. 

In later 3'^ears the Agricultural Company had on Nis- 
qually Plains from 5,000 to 8,000 head of cattle and from 
6,000 to 10,000 sheep, also 300 head of horses. It required 
from fifty to seventy-five men to take care of these, and 



INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 19 

they were a motley crew — English, Scotch, Canadian- 
French, Kanakas, half-breeds and Indians. Of the latter the 
Company employed but few, as all the records show they 
were considered too worthless and dishonest to be en- 
trusted with much responsibility. 

x\s early as 1841, they were milking- two hundred cows 
and had several hundred more on the range. After their 
importations from California they set to work to improve 
their breed, and imported some of the best from England. 
At that time they were also farming on a large scale, using 
the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company for that pur- 
pose, who were bound by contracts to do all kinds of work 
required of them, civil or military. 

For many years they had the supplying of all the forts 
and stations of the Hudson's Bay Company on the Pacific 
Coast, and also furnished the Russians of Alaska with grain, 
butter and cheese, at one time as high as fifteen thousand 
bushels in one year. They also exported to England hides, 
horns, tallow, and wool, thereby giving cargoes to the ves- 
sels that brought out the supplies needed for the use of 
the employees and for traffic with the Indians, which would 
otherwise have gone home comparatively empty, as the 
annual shipments of furs required but little space, though 
immensely valuable in themselves. At that time their stock 
required little feed other than they picked up on the range 
and of course it was quite a profitable business for the Com- 
pany. 

The flocks of sheep soon became of the best breeds, mostly 
merino, as large importations of blooded animals were made 
from England. As early as 1844, nearly seven thousand 
pounds of wool were shipped, and in ten years later this 
went up to over thirteen thousand pounds. This year, 1854, 
it was found that the sheep had become too numerous for 
the pasturing capacity of the Nisqually Plains, and there 
being a large demand for improved breed of sheep, in the 
Willamette valley, Doctor Tolmie, then in charge at that 
place, decided to get rid of a few thousands, so he started 



20 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

with a band of 3600, going as far south as Eugene in the 
valley, disposing of them to the farmers as he went along. 
The doctor was absent on this trip about four months, and 
the venture proved very profitable, as the sheep brought 
good prices. I can remember that the farmers of the Wil- 
lamette valley bought very freely of merino sheep brought 
out from Vermont and sold at from one hundred to one 
hundred and twenty-five dollars per head, and of short- 
horn cattle from Kentucky at from two hundred and fifty 
for cows to five hundred dollars per head for bulls, the 
latter having been brought out by Gen. Gaines, who had 
been Governor of the Territory under an early Whig ad- 
ministration. 

There was one part of the yearly work where the Indians 
did the most of it ; that was in the washing and shearing 
of the flocks. It was made a sort of holiday time, similar 
to modern hop-picking. The men did the washing, and 
assisted in the packing of the wool, and the women did the 
shearing. The work was done in a primitive way. The 
women would work in pairs. A man would catch a sheep 
and carry it to the women, who would be seated on the 
floor of a large store room, called the shearing-house, with 
an Indian mat under them. One would take the fore part 
and the other the hind part of the animal, whose legs were 
tied to prevent it from struggling too much or getting away. 
Some of the workers were skillful and others the reverse, 
in the latter case the poor brute would be badly mangled. 

Much has been written of the cattle and sheep of the 
Company destroying the indigenous and highly nutritious 
bunch grass of the Nisqually Plains. I do not think this 
indictment will lie. If there ever were a set of men who 
did things on a methodical and prudent scale, it was these 
early Hudson's Bay people, so long as they were in control 
of affairs there. It was their custom to keep their sheep in 
bands of about five hundred, each band under the charge 
of two men, which were under the supervision of a white 
shepherd, who resided at an out-station. Each of these had 



PUGET SOUND AGRICULTURAL CO. 21 

from two to four of these bands to care for. The sheep were 
carefully parked every night, and the parks or corrals moved 
every two or three nights, thus keeping the ground enriched, 
and at the same time from being overpastured to the injury 
of the grass. Although this grass was a "Bunch grass," it 
was different from that so-called east of the Cascade Moun- 
tains which leaves fully half of the ground bare. It cov- 
ered the ground completely, making a thick sward, which, 
even in the hot months did not dry up, but was of a bluish- 
green color. After the white settlers secured most of these 
lands this intelligent care of the grazing ended. In the 
'seventies there were probably not less than thirty thou- 
sand sheep scattered over the prairies, as well as thousands 
of other stock, and as they were there during the spring and 
summer the grass had no chance to seed and was soon eaten 
down to the roots so that the hot summer sun and drying 
winds killed it out completely in a few years, and a growth 
of worthless grass and weeds has taken its place. 

The cattle, during the later years of the occupation by 
the Company, became very wild, and were shot by its em- 
ployees, by the settlers, and by the Indians, so that it be- 
came almost impossible to handle them. In fact many of 
them became as wild as deer, and it took a skillful hunter 
to get a shot at them. They would hide in the woods in 
the daytime, and come out cautiously at night to feed on 
the prairies, and it became the custom to hunt them at times 
of bright moonlight. 

The farming and stock-raising operations of the Hudson's 
Bay Company and the Puget Sound Agricultural Company 
had such an important effect in securing the early occupa- 
tion of the countrv west of the Cascade mountains and north 
of the Columbia river, and also in affording the early Ameri- 
can settlers means of subsistence for several years until 
they had become self-supporting, that a detailed explanation 
of the origin and operations of the latter is important. 

The older corporation was generally known as the Hud- 
son's Bay Company, but its legal title was the "Governor 



22 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hud- 
son's Bay." Its sole business was to secure furs and pel- 
tries, both by traffic with the Indians, and by maintenance 
of a large force of trappers and hunters in its own employ. 

The idea of forming a company, having for its object the 
raising of flocks and herds for commercial purposes was 
first mooted in the Spring of 1833, and introduced to the 
Company by Chief Factor Archibald McDonald. The site 
of operations then proposed was in Sacramento valley, Cali- 
fornia, imder a contemplated grant from the Mexican gov- 
ernment. Later, the extensive pastoral and agricultural 
country around Nisqually and the Cowlitz was preferred 
because of their nearness to Vancouver, the headquarters 
of the Company's operations west of the Cascade mountains. 
This tract was then lying unoccupied and was believed by 
the company people to belong to Great Britain. Objections 
were raised to the Hudson's Bay Company entering on the 
business, as it was thought it would be likely to interfere 
with the legitimate business of that Company, the fur trade. 
There were, however, many advantages that might accrue 
to the company in the prosecution of their ordinary business 
by an association of the kind proposed, with adequate cap- 
ital, if independently conducted, therefore the directors 
of the Hudson's Bay Company in London agreed to lend 
that Company's cooperation. 

A prospectus was accordingly issued in London in 1838, 
a copy of which lies before me as I write. It is engraved 
in artistic style, and occupies four pages of foolscap size. 

Its introduction is as follows : "The soil and climate of 
the Country of the Columbia River, particularly the district 
situated between the head waters of the Cowlitz River, 
which falls into the Columbia River about 50 miles from the 
Pacific and Puget's Sound, being considered highly favor- 
able for the rearing of Flocks and Herds, with the view to 
the Production of Wool, Hides and Tallow, and also for 
the cultivation of other Agricultural produce, It is pro- 
posed": 



PUGET SOUND AGRICULTURAL CO. 23 

Then follow twenty clauses giving the purposes of the 
proposed organization, its name, capital stock of 200,000 
pounds sterling, in shares of 100 pounds each, that until the 
sovereignty of the country involved should be determined 
the main office and entire management of the afifairs of the 
Company should be retained in London, naming John Henry 
Pelly, Andrew Colvile and George Simpson agents with 
full powers to conduct and direct the business, providing 
for yearly meetings of the proprietors of the Company, rules 
of voting and sales of stock, that the superintendent of the 
Agricultural Company should always be an officer attached 
to and interested in the Hudson's Bay Company, that no 
person in the employ or taken into the district of the Agri- 
cultural Company should in any way trade in furs or pelt- 
ries, that all such employees should be subject to dismissal 
and removal from the district, and that such persons should 
be in every respect subject to the like conditions, restric- 
tions and regulations imposed upon the servants of the Hud- 
son's Bay Company, that whenever any part of the district 
should become British territory the Company should apply 
for a grant of the land, and then the said Puget's Sound 
Agricultural Company should be incorporated, and finally, 
whenever the holders of not less than three-fourths of the 
whole stock should so decide the Company should wind 
up its affairs and dissolve. 

A reserve of the privilege of purchase was made in favor 
of those already out here, and many availed themselves of 
this privilege. The regulation about the superintendent 
insured a man experienced in the management of the native 
tribes. It was also agreed that such breeding stock as could 
be spared for the purpose should be transferred at stipulated 
prices from the Hudson's Bay Company's farms to the new 
Company, and all seeds and grains for the agricultural re- 
quirements. 

The post at Nisqually was transferred to the Agricultural 
Company about 1842, and the Cowlitz Farm was established 
exclusively by the latter Company, both with the provision 
that the older Company should have all the furs and peltries. 



24 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

Restrictions were made as to the purchase of the stock, 
no one person being allowed more than twenty shares, the 
Governor being allowed that many and from him down a 
graduated scale to the lowest clerk, who could only take 
one share. 

Of course there was some friction between some of the 
members of the two companies, each party complaining that 
the other was getting the advantage, but the two companies 
gained immense profits for twenty years or more. 

The following extracts from the old Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany journal, for the year 1839, give all that I have been able 
to find regarding the selection of the site for the Indian 
Mission at Nisqually. It is understood that Rev. Jason Lee 
came over to the Sound the preceding year and decided to 
have a mission at this place as soon as the increased number 
of missionaries then expected should arrive. 

April 10, 1839. This evening the Rev. Mr. (David) Leslie 
and brother (William H.) Willson arrived with an intention 
of making at this place a small IMissionary Establishment 
for converting the Indians around. 

Thursday, nth — Showed a spot of ground north of the 
small river for building house for the mission, as desired 
by Mr. Douglas. 

Friday, 12th — Took a ride out near the Poolapa river 
(Puyallup) with the two gentlemen strangers. They were 
delighted with the country. 

Sunday, 14th — The Indians of the place have been brought 
into the big house, and Mr. Leslie told them of the purpose 
of their mission, that is, that they intended to settle here 
if they, the Indians, wished it for the purpose of giving 
instruction in religion, and learning their children to read. 

15th — * * * Mr. Leslie has gone home and Mr. Will- 
son is left to begin building. 

17th — * * * This day the first tree was cut down for 
the missionary building. Mr. Willson gave the first blow 
and I the last. 

i8th — Mr. Willson was arranging our grindstone for 
grinding his broad axe. 

2ist, Sunday — About 11 o'clock a. m., Mr. Demcrs. the 
Roman Catholic priest arrived from the Cowlitz and brought 
letters from Vancouver. 



ARRIVAL OF FIRST MISSIONARIES. 25 

25th, Thursday — Eighty-nine men, women and children 
of the Sawayewamish (Snohomish) have come in to see the 
priest. 

28th, Sunday — * * * Seven children baptized by Mr. 
Demers. 

29th, Monday — * * * This afternoon, Miss Helen Mc- 
Donald and Miss Margaret Riedout Orriber were both bap- 
tized by Mr. Demers, and after the latter was married to 
her old husband, Joseph Pin. (Note by Edward Huggins — 
The first marriage was a civil ceremony, quite legal, tho',) 
At seven o'clock, Miss Helen McDonald was married to 
William Kittson, (Chief Trader in charge) without much 
ceremony, the latter being a Protestant and former a Roman 
Catholic. The rites were performed in a civil manner. Wit- 
nesses Mr. William Holden Willson, a brother of the Mis- 
sionary Society and Joseph Pin. 

May 6th — * * * Mr. Willson has lost his Indian. The 
scamp received pay in advance, and shammed sickness in 
order to pay a visit to his friends, with whom he has gam- 
bled a part of his gains. 

Here the record ends. It is known that Willson got the 
building so it could be occupied and then returned to the 
Willamette valley. 

In 1878, a book of "Historical Sketches of the Catholic 
Church in Oregon, during the past forty years" was issued 
under Church auspices, and in it are some references to the 
Nisqually and Cowlitz Missions from which the following 
are extracts : 

"The first mission to Cowlitz was begun by the Vicar 
General on March 17, 1839, and continued until the ist of 
May following. Arriving at the settlement on the evening 
of March i6th, the Vicar General was accommodated by Mr. 
Simon Plamondeau with a room for his own use and also 
an apartment 18x25 feet to be used as a chapel. Besides 
the four farm.ers and their families forming the colony, there 
were a large number of servants, employed on the farms 
of the H. B. Co., some of them having wives. * * * 

"The news of the arrival of the missionary at Cowlitz 
caused numerous delegations of Indians to came from re- 
mote distances in order to hear and see the "blackgown." 
Among these delegations was one led by a chief named 



26 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

"Tsla-lacum," (Steilacoom) whose tribe inhabited Whidby 
Island, Puget Sound, 150 miles from the Cowlitz Mission. 
After a journey of two days in canoes to Fort Nesqualy, and 
an arduous march of three days on foot, across streams and 
rivers and by an exceedingly rough trail, they reached Cow- 
litz with bleeding feet, famished and broken down. Their 
object was to see the "blackgown" and hear him speak of 
the great spirit. As soon as they were refreshed the Mis- 
sionary began to speak to them of God, of the Incarnation 
and Redemption. But the great difficulty was how to give 
them the idea of religion so plain and simple as to command 
their attention, and which they could retain in their minds 
and carry back with them to their tribe. In looking for a 
plan the Vicar General imagined that by representing on a 
square stick, the forty centuries before Christ by 40 marks ; 
the thirty-three years of our Lord by 33 points, followed 
by a cross ; and the eighteen centuries and thirty-nine years 
since, by 18 marks and 39 points, would pretty well answer 
his design, in giving him a chance to show the beginning of 
the world, the creation, the fall of angels, of Adam, the 
promise of the Savior, the time of his birth, and his death 
upon the cross, as well as the mission of the Apostles. The 
plan was a great success. After eight days' explanation, the 
chief and his companions became masters of the subject; 
and, having learned to make the sign of the cross and to sing 
one or two canticles in Chinook jargon, they started for 
home well satisfied, with a square rule thus marked, which 
they called Sa-ha-le stick. That plan was afterward changed 
from a rule to a large chart containing the great epochs of 
the world, such as the Deluge, the Tower of Babel, the 
Ten Commandments of God, the 12 Apostles, the seven 
sacraments and precepts of the Church ; these being very 
useful to enable the missionary the teaching of the Indians 
and whites. It was called the "Catholic Ladder." 

"About the 8th of April, 1830, Rev. D. Leslie, a Methodist 
minister, arrived at Cowlitz, en route to Nesqualy where he 
intended establishing a mission among the Indians. This 
information at once prompted Vicar General at once to 
despatch an Indian express to Father Demers at Vancouver, 
asking him to proceed at once to Nesqually in order to plant 
the true seed in the hearts of the Indians there. Father 
Demers left immediately and reached his destination in six 
days, during which he was drenched with cold and con- 
tinuous rain. He was welcomed by Mr. Kitson, the com- 



HISTORY OF CATHOLIC LADDER. 27 

mander of the Fort ; a house was appropriated for the pur- 
pose of a chapel, and he at once entered upon the subject 
of his arduous journey. The Indians flocked from all sides 
to see the great chief of the French and receive his in- 
structions. An unforeseen incident, however, came near pre- 
venting the mission begun under such favorable auspices. 
The commandant was unwilling to allow a vast crowd of 
Indians to enter the fort, and ordered them to stay outside 
of the palisades. One of the Indians, bolder than the rest, 
dared to force an entry and was pushed back rather roughly 
by Mr. Kitson, hence the beginning of a riot, which might 
have become fatal, if the appearance of the Missionary had 
not appeased that untamed multitude. * * * 

"Father Demers was then obliged to go out of the Fort to 
teach the Indians, who, during the whole time of the mis- 
sion, gave evidence of their most perfect docility to their 
advice. The first mass was celebrated in the presence of 
the commander and other persons of the Fort. Among the 
throng there were counted Indians of 22 different nations. 
* * * After having given orders to build a chapel, and 
said mass outside of the Fort, Father Demers parted with 
the Indians, blessing the Lord for the success of his mission 
among the whites and Indians, and reached Cowlitz on 
Mondav, the 30th, with the conviction that his mission at 
Nesqualy had left a very feeble chance for a Methodist mis- 
sion there. Brother Willson, whom Minister Leslie had 
left orders with to build a house, on a certain piece of land, 
must have been despondent at being witness to all he had 
seen. 

"From his Mission at Wallamette falls, the Vicar General 
went, on May 6th, 1841, to the Clackamas tribe, which he 
had already visited in March, at the Wapeto lake. The 
usual daily exercises were continued at the ringing of the 
bell for nine days. Bro. Waller came and called him an 
intruder. His Evangelical ladder was brought near the 
Catholic one ; the Indians pronounced themselves in favor 
of the latter ; twelve lodges were gained. Being obliged 
to return to St. Paul on the 15th, Rev. M. Demers, being 
at Vancouver came to replace him. He continued the mis- 
sion for two weeks, giving some days to the Wallamette 
tribe and the rest to that of Clackamas. It was on that 
occasion that Wesamus, the Corypheus of Bro. Waller was 
gained. 

"From the Clackamas, Father DeMers returned to Van- 



28 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

couvcr, to administer to the Brigades of the north and 
south, after which he went home to teach catechism. And 
as the Colville mission was being omitted this year, because 
of Father DeSmet being expected to come down that way, 
and it had been resolved that Father DeMers would go this 
year to the Sound, he started on August nth, went to 
Nesqualy and thence to the bay. He visited many tribes, 
besides those seen by the Vicar General ; he traveled from 
one nation to another, accompanied by Chief Tslalakum and 
many other great chiefs. His traveling was a triumphant 
one, surrounded sometimes by six hundred and other times 
by 3000 Indians, who, hostile to each other, were peaceable 
in the presence of the "blackgown." He often passed whole 
days in teaching, with a ladder 10 by 2)4 feet, these poor 
Indians so desirous of heavenly things, and continuing late 
at night to sing, pray and hear the harangues of the chiefs 
repeating what they had learned. * * * From the bay 
he passed to Fort Langley on the Fraser river. There were 
new triumphs among the Kawitshans. There ended his 
mission, and on Sept. 27th he was at home, having made 
765 baptisms, and been 44. days absent. 

"In the beginning of ]\\ne Commodore Wilkes left Van- 
couver on a visit to the Willamette valley, and took dinner 
with the Vicar General at his residence at St. Paul. He 
told him that on seeing a cross on Whitby Island, he called 
it the "Cross Island." The Vicar General having promised 
Father DeMers that he would visit Cowlitz during his ab- 
sence, started June 14th, for that place. On returning he 
gave a mission of 14 days at Vancouver. It was on that 
occasion that Commodore Wilkes, assisted with several 
officers of his stafif and Dr. McLaughlin, at High Mass and 
Vespers on a Sunday. It was a solemn day. The following 
Sunday, though the Commodore was absent, the ceremony 
was not less solemn. A house was raised in March, at St. 
Paul, 62 by 25 feet, to serve as a hall for the people on Sun- 
day and a lodging for the priest. 

"The next mission to be made was that of the Cascade 
tribe which had never been visited by the "blackgown." 
Tamakoon, its chief, had already been a convert since 1839, 
at the sight and explanation of the Catholic Ladder. He 
had met, many times, the assaults and efforts of the Meth- 
odist preachers, but all in vain ; he remained unmoved. He 
was glad to see "le plete" arrive on September 17th. His 
tribe contained 150 to 200. * * * Tamakoon received 



METHOD OF USING CATHOLIC LADDER. 29 

a bell and a Ladder to be used on Sundays. He was able 
to speak on it for several hours. Thirty-four children were 
baptised." 

This "Catholic Ladder" was well designed to accomplish 
the purposes for which it was prepared. In all matters for- 
eign to their daily life and material wants the natives were 
as simple as little children, and the ladder was an object 
lesson, where the eye as well as the ear served to fix the 
subject under discussion in their minds. In the hands of 
the zealous and exceedingly capable men sent out to en- 
gage in the work of christianizing the Indians, it was a 
highly effective agent in the conversion of those who had 
not hitherto come under instruction, and in proselyting 
those who had already listened to the teachings of the 
Methodist, Congregational and Presbyterian missionaries. 

The Indian of this region was a materialist — that is he 
knew nothing that his bodily senses did not teach him. His 
gods and spirits all had visible forms. 

The Catholic priests appeared in their black gowns and 
carrying with them the emblems of their service ; they were 
received with great respect by the officers of the Hudson's 
Bay Company, and gladly welcomed by the employees who 
were nearly all Catholics. The Hudson's Bay Company 
was the highest corporeal power known to the Indians. Its 
officers enunciated the law and enforced it with iron hands 
in all that came up between the Company and the natives. 
Any wrong doing that affected the company was punished 
surely and swiftly. For these reasons, when the Indians 
saw what deference was shown to the priests by those 
whom they, the Indians, looked up to as "Tyees," whatever 
the priests said to them was naturally accepted with great- 
est respect. The ceremonials of the Church service were 
attractive to them, and, together with the emblems on the 
chart as explained to them served lastingly to fix in their 
memories the lessons expounded to them. 

The "ladder" from which the illustration is made is one 
of the first prepared. It has been among the papers and 



?.0 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

documents at Fort Nisqually more than sixty years, and 
is still in fairly good condition. The material is strong pa- 
per, pasted on strong white cloth, and the illustrations were 
evidently prepared with a small paint brush, the color being 
probably India ink. The first was used at the Cowlitz 
Mission by Rev. Father Blanchet in July, 1842. Thereafter 
copies of it were in constant use among the Indians all over 
the North-west until in i860 an engraved edition was is- 
sued, of elaborate form with a vast amount of historical 
matter in print and in pictorial form. The method of using 
it was also printed, and will appear further on. 

The parallel black bars represent the four millennial 
periods — First, from Adam to Noah ; second, from Noah to 
Abraham ; third, from Abraham to the completion of the 
Temple ; and fourth, from that time to the time of the gen- 
eral peace under Augustus Caesar. The dots represent the 
thirty-three years of the Christ at Jerusalem, and then the 
eighteen bars bring the time down to the year 1800. Lastly, 
the dots represent the years to 1842, when this "ladder" was 
prepared. 

In each of the first thirty centuries mention is made of 
some leading scriptural character. In each of the next ten 
centuries important events in Jewish, Babylonish, Persian 
and Greek history are noted briefly. In the eighteen cen- 
turies of the Christian era the spread of the Romish church 
among the nations of the earth is given. The circles and 
other figures at the bottom of the chart are emblematic of 
the days of creation, and of the angels in heaven, and of 
the devils in hell. 

Going up the forty centuries are the emblems of the lead- 
ing characters in biblical history, of the ark, the tower of 
Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, Mount Sinai, Solomon's Tem- 
ple, Old Testament, Star of Bethlehem, etc. 

Between the lower and upper ladders many events of 
Jesus' time on earth are noted. The large house at the left 
is St. Peter's Basilica at Rome. The black branch leading 
off at the right near the top is the stream of "New Chief 



METHOD OF USING CATHOLIC LADDER. 31 

Heretics," from Luther to Joseph Smith, and the three up- 
right bars under it are the three chief heretics, Luther, Cal- 
vin and Henry the Eighth. 

Here follows the method of using the Catholic Ladder: — 

1. Begin by running up from the bottom to the top, the 
column of the ages, through which the world has lasted. 
Immediately after, point out, in succession, the epoch of 
the 4,000 years, that of 33 and that of i860. Having done 
this you will point out the mysteries of the Holy Trinity, 
of the Incarnation and of the Redemption, so as to teach 
the learner how to distinguish them by their names. 

2. After this, you will point out, at the foot of the col- 
umn of the centuries, the image which relates to God, and 
say all that we know of His divine attributes and divine 
perfections, namely: His Eternity, His Immensity, His 
Providence, His Power, &c., &c., &;c. You will then pro- 
ceed to explain the great mysteries. 

3. From speaking of the power of God, you will pass on 
to the Creation in a period of six days, adverting to the 
sanctification of the seventh day, which God reserved for 
Himself and consecrated to rest. Further on, you will refer 
to the creation of the Angels, which took place, in the opin- 
ion of St. Augustin, when He made the light on the first 
day of creation. Then speak of the rebellion of the wicked 
angels, a short time after their creation, their fall into hell, 
created at the moment of their rebellion ; as also of the 
faithfulness of the pure angels, and of their reward in 
Heaven. 

4. You will subsequently point out the tree of knowl- 
edge of good and evil. You will state God's command not to 
touch its fruit ; also the envy and the madness of the cursed 
enemy of man at the sight of the happiness of Adam and 
Eve ; the resolution which he took to work out their ruin 
and to drag them into the pit along with himself and his 
rebellious followers ; his temptation of the first pair, under 
the form of a serpent; the wiles of the devil in that work 
of temptation ; the disobedience of our first parents, but a 
short time after their creation ; the rejoicing of the devils 
when they saw Adam and Eve, with all their posterities, 
involved in one and the same condemnation by the justice 
of God ; the promise of a savior, through the means of an- 
other woman (Mary, the Virgin Mother, most pure and 
immaculate), who was to crush, that is to baffle the power 



32 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

of the serpent, the devil, by bringing into the world the 
promised Savior, in order to repair the guilt of the first 
woman. 

5. From this point you will proceed to the fulfillment of 
the promise, pointing out, in a merely cursory manner, the 
intermediate events, and especially so to the beginners, 
whose attention should be distracted as little as possible 
from the thread of historical facts, but rather made to dwell 
on the principal object. The rest is but accessory, and may 
be brought in, further on, with some measure of advantage. 

6. When you have reached the period of 4,000 years, 
you will begin to give a historical sketch of religion, from 
the birth of Jesus Christ down to our days. You will refer 
to the 33 years of his life ; to the apostles ; to Calvary ; to 
the sacraments ; his promise to the church ; his death ; his 
Resurrection and Ascension ; to the mission of the Apos- 
tles ; the coming of the Holy Ghost ; the conversion of the 
Nations of the earth to the Catholic faith down to the pres- 
ent day. Having done this, you will proceed more fully to 
explain the various points which had been only touched 
upon in the reference to the chart. 

7. Having concluded this sketch of religion, you will 
pass to the explanation of the symbols of the Apostles, of 
the commandments of God and of His church, of the Lord's 
prayer, angelical salutation and sacraments, which embrace 
the whole of the Christian doctrine, or all that is to be be- 
lieved, done, and asked and received for salvation. But 
before you touch this branch of your duty, do, in regard of 
those prayers, what you had done in respect to the histor- 
ical sketch of religion ; that is, give a general character of 
them and of each of them ; tell by whom, how, and under 
what circumstances they were composed or uttered ; and 
teach your beginners to retain the title of the sum of the 
things or articles contained in them. For example : 

1. In relation to the Apostolic creed: By whom and 
when it was composed ; say all that is embraced in it, was, 
in substance, received from the lips of Jesus Christ ; that 
there is one article respecting the first of the three persons 
of the Godhead ; that there are six articles relative to the 
second person, and one touching the third, and so on. 

2. Touching God's commandments: By whom, when, 
and how they were given out and uttered ; that there are 
three which refer to God, and seven which refer to our 
neighbor. Sum of them : God, His holy name. His holy 



PROTESTANT MISSIONARIES. 33 

day ; honoring father and mother ; not to kill, not to com- 
mit impurity, not to steal, not to lie, not to covet impurities, 
not to covet another's goods. 

3. Touching the commandments of the church : By 
whom and for what purpose they have been established ; 
the sum of them : Festivals, Mass, Confession, Commun- 
ion, Fasting and Abstinence, and Church Dues. 

4. Touching the Lord's prayer: By whom and at whose 
request it was uttered ; three petitions which relate to God, 
and four which relate to ourselves. 

5. The Hail Mary or Angelical Salutation : By whom it 
was addressed, and so on. 

6. Touching the Sacraments : By whom and for what 
purpose instituted ; their names ; two of them which blot 
away sin ; three of them which can be received once only, 
and the definition of them all. 

To this general statement you may add later, with profit- 
able results, particular and more substantial details. 

Revs. Jason and Daniel Lee, uncle and nephew, were the 
first missionaries to reach Oregon, having arrived overland 
in the fall of 1834. They were accompanied by two lay 
members of the Methodist church, P. L. Edwards and Cyrus 
Shepard. Their first field of labor was near the present city 
of Salem, Oregon. 

In September, 1836, Rev. H. H. Spalding and wife and 
Dr. Marcus Whitman and wife and W. H. Gray arrived 
overland at Walla Walla. These were the first American 
women to arrive in Oregon. They were sent out by the 
American Board of Foreign Missions. 

In May, 1837, a considerable reinforcement to the Meth- 
odist mission arrived by water around Cape Horn. They 
were Dr. Elijah White and wife, Mr. Alanson Beers and 
wife, and Misses Ann Maria Pitman, Susan Downing and 
Elvina Johnson, and William H. Willson. This latter gen- 
tleman will appear often in our story, later. 

In September, following. Rev. David Leslie, wife and 
three children. Rev. H. K. W. Perkins, and Miss Margaret 
Smith, the second Methodist reinforcement, also arrived 
bv water. 



34 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

Early in 1838, it was decided to commence a second mis- 
sion at The Dalles, on the Columbia river. The Umpqua, 
Killamook, Clatsop, Chenook. Nezqnally, and many other 
tribes were destitute of missionaries and an effort was made 
to supply them. The Society passed a resolution advising 
Jason Lee to make a visit to the United States to represent 
to the Missionary Society and the public generally the true 
condition of the country and of the Indians, and soliciting 
men and means for the missionary work in Oregon. 

In March, 1838, with two white and two Indian com- 
panions, he started overland for the East. He arrived in 
New York in November, but delivered a great many ad- 
dresses in Illinois and at other points along his route, about 
Oregon, as a missionary field and as a home for settlers. A 
few weeks later, the Board passed a resolution to send to 
Oregon five additional missionaries, one physician, six me- 
chanics, four farmers, one missionary steward and four 
female teachers. 

During the summer of 1839, Jason Lee, attended by 
William Brooks and Thomas Adams, the two Indian boys 
whom he brought with him, traveled quite extensively 
through the New England and Middle States, holding mis- 
sionary meetings in all the important places, and collecting 
funds for the Oregon mission. His success was unparal- 
leled, and an interest was excited throughout the land 
amounting to enthusiasm. Crowds thronged to see and 
hear the pioneer missionary beyond the Rocky mountains, 
and the Indians who accompanied him. Liberal collections 
were taken up in almost every place, and these, with the 
appropriations of the Board for the purchase of goods, 
amounted to forty thousand dollars — an immense sum in 
those days, and sufficient to provide all kinds of tools for 
agricultural and mechanical purposes, and the necessary 
articles for the construction of a saw-mill and grist-mill for 
the use of the mission. 

October 10, 1839, the ship Lausanne set sail from New 
York harbor with a missionary party of fifty-two persons. 



PROTESTANT MISSIONARIES. 35 

thirty-six adults and sixteen children, on board. They were 
srathered from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, 
Maryland, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri. There 
were eight ministers of the gospel, all Methodists, with the 
exception of Rev. Sheldon Dibble, who was a Presbyterian 
on his way to his field of labor in the Sandwich Islands. 
The others were Jason Lee, A. F. Waller, Gustavus Hines,, 
J. L. Parrish, L. H. Judson, J. H. Frost, W. W. Kone, and 
J. P. Richmond. With the latter we have most to do in 
this story. The first five died in the harness in Oregon, 
after shorter or longer terms of service. Frost, Kone and 
Richmond worked a few years and then went away, never 
to return. 

While lying in New York harbor, the infant son of Rich- 
mond and wife was christened "Oregon," in honor of the 
country to which they were bound. 

The ship came by way of Cape Horn and the Hawaiian 
Islands, and the voyage was not disturbed by any disaster 
or unusual event. May 21, 1840, the good ship crossed the 
Columbia bar in safety, but it required ten days more to 
thread the channels and get off the numerous shoals be- 
tween Astoria and Fort Vancouver, the early day Mecca 
of every voyager to Oregon by land or sea, be he Methodist, 
Presbyterian, Catholic, English, American, French, or any 
other faith or nationality. Dr. McLaughlin extended the 
hospitalities of the place to the whole party as long as they 
desired to remain. 

June 13th, a meeting of the members of this mission was 
called to select the stations for work of the newly arrived 
missionaries. J. H. Frost was sent to Clatsop, near Astoria, 
W. W. Kone and Gustavus Hines to Umpqua, A. F. Waller 
to the station near Salem, and John P. Richmond to "Fort 
Nez Qualy, on Puget's Sound." 

Cotemporaneous missionary books and records are almost 
completely silent as to the work of Mr. Richmond at Nis- 
qually and of the duration of his stay at that point. Elwood 
Evans also ignored this event almost completely. Evans 



36 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

was, during his long life in the North-west, the great over- 
shadowing authority regarding early local historical mat- 
ters. Nature lavishly endowed him with a broad and com- 
prehensive mind, a retentive memory and a graceful flow of 
language. He was a voluminous writer, an eloquent speak- 
er, a learned counsellor and an active politician. 

From the time the first Americans made their permanent 
homes in Oregon antagonisms arose toward the Hudson's 
Bay Company, which widened and deepened as years rolled 
on, and Americans became more and more numerous. It 
is a fact that needs but to be stated to be accepted as true, 
that down to our late war with Spain American sentiment 
was largely unfriendly toward the "British." The individual 
Englishman, Scotchman or Irishman rarely came in for a 
share of this dislike, until, collectively, they became British. 
The hostility was stronger in the west than on the Atlantic 
seaboard. As a consequence, when the true pioneers came 
to "Old Oregon" and found the Hudson's Bay Company the 
dominant power all over the great New West it was looked 
upon as a hereditary enemy. It was the representative of 
British power and the advance agent of British colonization 
schemes, therefore the antagonist of all that was American. 
That company and its foster child, the Puget Sound Agri- 
cultural Company, had large holdings on the shores of Puget 
Sound. Americans here all felt that these companies were 
intruders, that they had no rights that an American citi- 
zen was called to regard. There were, from time to time, 
disputes and lawsuits between the representatives of these 
companies and the settlers ; the adjustment of the boun- 
daries at the time of the treaty of 1846, later of the water 
boundary in the San Juan Archipelago, and finally of the 
immense and unreasonable claims for compensation made 
by those companies for their lands in Pierce and Cowlitz 
counties. 

In all these, Mr. Evans was concerned as lawyer and ad- 
viser in opposition to the companies, and, as it was popular 
to "twist the lion's tail," it was quite natural for all that he 



DR. RICHMOND AT NISQUALLY. 37 

said or wrote to carry with it a strong bias against them. 
The allotment of large tracts of land for sites for early mis- 
sions had also led to many contests in the land department 
and the courts between the settlers and the missionaries, re- 
sulting in a quite general sentiment that the latter were in 
the wrong. In these controversies Mr. Evans was often 
engaged. For these reasons, perhaps, much of his writings 
had a vein of unkindness or uncharitableness running 
through them toward the Hudson's Bay Company and the 
early missionaries. It is to this I ascribe the fact that he 
ignored almost entirely the work and lives of the Hudson's 
Bay people and the early missionaries on Puget Sound. 

In the past two years I have devoted a great deal of time 
to the congenial task of assembling into a more or less con- 
nected story the history of this first missionary eflfort west 
of the Cascade Mountains. Old newspapers and still older 
letters, and recent letters from the children of these first 
missionaries have all contributed something. 

Mrs. Abbie J. Hanford furnished an article or interview 
that appeared in the Seattle Weekly Chronicle of July 12, 
1883, as follows : 

"John Cornelius Holgate was born in Trenton, Butler 
county, Ohio, October 15, 1828. He moved with his father's 
family to Van Buren county, Iowa, in 1839. Being delicate 
and suffering greatly with the ague, he was often confined 
to the house, and became very fond of reading to and with 
his sister. Their favorite books were the adventures of ex- 
plorers and hunters in the far west. Among the various 
books of adventure which they read two greatly pleased 
them. They were the journals kept by the Pike's exploring 
expedition, and a book by one of the men who was in the 
expedition of Lewis and Clark, whose name was Gass. 
What pleased them most was the fact that the climate of 
the northwest Pacific Coast was shown to be so healthful 
by the experience of all the men who visited it. Although 
a child, young Holgate determined to see for himself that 
wonderful, and at that time, unknown country, which all 
who visited it described with such admiration. He formed 
a very glowing idea of the country in Iowa, from the de- 
scriptions written by Pike, but he was satisfied that the 



38 ' PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

remote northwest was far superior to anything- he could hear 
or read of. He never altered his determination until his 
ambition was accomplished, and he saw for himself Puget 
Sound. He was so well pleased with the country as he 
found it that he always regarded it as the most beautiful, 
healthful and attractive one he bad ever seen. In 1847 ^^ 
crossed the plains with a party of Quakers commanded by 
Llewellyn. He drove the wagon which brought the first 
fruit trees to Oregon. It was loaded with trees from a 
nursery at Salem, Henry county, Iowa. Among others they 
brought from that nursery a fir tree for which they refused 
$5 for on their way across the plains, thinking, from all he 
could hear, that it would be very valuable and rare tree in 
Oregon. When they arrived they were much surprised to 
find great forests of fir throughout many portions of the 
northwest, and of course their fir tree was of no value. 
While Holgate was in Oregon he met with numerous adven- 
tures in the Indian wars. One night he, with a party of 
others who were looking for Indians that had carried away 
the horses of settlers, found the Indians in a position where 
it was dangerous to attack them as a body. Young Holgate 
volunteered to go into the Indian ambush alone and cut the 
fastenings of the horses so they could run out to the Hud- 
son's bay men who were with him. He told them he was 
the youngest and of the least value to the party, and if he 
was killed few would miss him. The Indians saw him and 
were very much surprised to see "tenas" boy go alone, and 
they reserved their fire, expecting to see the entire party 
follow him. Fearing that if they fired at him the whites 
would charge them after they had wasted their ammunition 
on the boy they continued to reserve their fire until the 
youth was beyond the range of their guns and out of danger. 
Thus he succeeded in driving off the horses and delivering 
them to his own party. He then became a general favorite, 
and afterwards did many other daring deeds, so that the 
officers of the Hudson's Bay company in Oregon became 
greatly attached to him, and often related to him stories of 
the great attractions ofifered by the country further north 
and west. They described the country about Puget Sound 
as being very far superior to any other country in America 
in every way, and gave him details of its many attractions. 

"In November, 1847, the Rev. Dr. Whitman, his lovely 
wife and nine other Americans were atrociously murdered 
by a band of perfidious Cayuse Indians at Whitman's mis- 



FIRST SETTLEMENT NEAR ELLIOT BAY. 39 

sionary station not far distant from the present city of Walla 
Walla, Washington Territory, (then in Oregon), This led 
to the Indian war with the Cayuses and other tribes. Among 
the Oregon volunteers was a pale youth yet in his teens 
who had recently arrived in the Willamette valley. During 
the campaign he was distinguished for his bravery, but at 
the close of the winter he was stricken down with the 
measles. Through his severe illness he was kindly cared 
for by an old officer of the Hudson's Bay company, who took 
strange interest in his youthful protege, on learning he had 
worked his way with comparative strangers to this far off 
land in search of that healthful and beautiful clime his 
glowing imagination had pictured on the shores of the 
Pacific. The officer delighted to tell his eager listener of 
the wonderful beauty and healthfulness of that great inland 
sea, Puget Sound ; of its magnificient harbors, its surpass- 
ingly beautiful scenery, its timber — the grandest on the con- 
tinent, its fertile valleys, its fish and its hidden treasures of 
coal, iron and other minerals. Young Holgate thought where 
all these advantages were combined would be built, at some 
future day, a great city. He (young Holgate) was so im- 
pressed with the descriptions he had heard he determined to 
see the wonderful country for himself as early as possible. 
Accordingly, in the summer of 1849 he traveled entirely 
alone from Portland, Oregon, across the country to Tum- 
water, at the head of Puget Sound. There he was hospit- 
ably entertained for a few days by Col. M. T. Simmons, 
the first American settler north of the Columbia river, who, 
with his family, came and located that place in October, 
1845- 

"Here Holgate employed an Indian to take him down the 
Soimd in a canoe. After spending about two months in 
cruising around, exploring the country he staked out a 
claim, which he intended to make his future home, near the 
head of Elliot bay, about thre^ miles distant from the pres- 
ent city of Seattle. While on this cruise, in order to make 
his stock of crackers and dried beef last as long as possible, 
he subsisted principally on fish, clams, berries, game and 
camas (a bulb which the Indians use, and when dried sub- 
stitute for bread.) On his return to the Willamette valley 
he gave such glowing descriptions of the country he had 
visited, that a number of persons determined to go there be- 
fore locating south of the Columbia river. In September, 
1851, a number of persons selected claims and settled on the 



40 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

Dwamish river, whose mouth is at the head of ElHot bay. 
A Mr. Maple took the claim selected by Mr. Holgate, who 
had not yet returned to the Sound. He afterward came and 
located nearer the town. On the 26th of September, 1851, 
J . N. Low, Lee Terry and D. T. Denny arrived at Alki point, 
five miles distant from Elliot bay, where Low and Terry 
located and established a trading post, and soon after laid 
out a town, which they called New York, to which was 
facetiously added the Chinook word "Alki," meaning after 
while. Afterward, as its population drifted away to Seattle, 
it lost the New York, but has retained the name of Alki 
point. On the 5th of November, 1851, the schooner Exact, 
Capt. Folger, sailed from Portland, Oregon, for Puget Sound 
and Queen Charlotte island, with passengers for the sound 
and a party of gold miners for the island. On the 13th 
of November she arrived at Alki point and landed A. A. 
Denny and family, and also three other families. On the 
15th of February, A. A. Denny and two others located 
claims on the east side of Elliot bay. On the 31st March, 
1852, Dr. D. S. Maynard arrived, who also located a claim 
on the east side of Elliot bay, adjoining the others. On the 
3rd day of April they moved on to their claims, having pre- 
viously surveyed the harbor. In May a town was laid out 
to which they gave the name of "Seattle," (a word of three 
syllables, accented on the first,) in honor of the Indian chief 
of that name who owned and occupied the townsite, who 
was much respected by the early settlers, and to whom he 
was greatly attached, and continued to be their firm friend 
until his death. His death occurred about ten years after 
the war, and in compliance with a request he had previously 
made, that all the "tyees," (that is leading citizens) of the 
country attend his funeral, an oration commemorative of his 
many virtues and greatness was delivered on the occasion 
by his son Jim Seattle. 

' "The funeral of Jim Seattle took place at the "Old Man 
House" reservation, near Port Madison. A number of the 
citizens of Port Madison were present at the ceremonies and 
followed the body to the grave. The ceremonies were per- 
formed in the chapel at the reservation, an old Indian 
(Louchy or Jacob, in English), leading. The following 
speech was made during the service : "People of Port Madi- 
son, we are glad to see you here today. Many years ago you 
came here to assist in the burial of the father of the de- 
ceased. We are thankful to good white men who are not 



FOUNDING OF SEATTLE. 41 

afraid to come and mix with the poor Indians. Before the 
white men came the Indians were ignorant and did many- 
things that were not right, but now they hope, with the 
assistance of good white men, to become better and more 
civihzed every year. The Indians on the reservation are 
members of the Roman Catholic church, and perhaps there 
are some present who were brought up in that religion. If 
there are, we hope that you will assist us with your prayers." 
The leader then waved a small white wand and all began to 
chant. At the close of the chant the crucifix was borne on 
high, the women forming and marching two abreast, the 
men next in the same order and then the coffin. At the grave 
the women walked in single file, passing the head of the 
grave, into which they each threw a handful of dirt. The 
leader then threw the first shovel of earth on the coffin and 
the ceremony was closed. 

''In October, 1852, H. L. Yesler arrived in Seattle and the 
settlers so adjusted their claims as to enable him to hold 
a claim, including the site he had selected for a steam saw- 
mill then en route from Ohio. This was the first steam 
saw mill built on Puget Sound. The first lumber was cut in 
March, 1853. Large accessions were now made to the settle- 
ments, and large sums of money were realized from the sale 
of piles, lumber, pickled salmon and cranberries shipped to 
San Francisco. Cutting piles was very profitable, persons 
engaging in this business realizing $20 per day, as they were 
in great demand for filling the city front of San Francisco 
at that time. The valleys of Duwamish and White rivers 
were settled up for a distance of twenty miles from Seattle. 
The little valley of Black river was settled up, and a saw- 
mill built on the river, which was afterwards burned by the 
Indians. King county now seemed to be very prosperous, 
the inhabitants little dreaming of the calamities soon to 
overtake them. Farms were rapidly improved, orchards 
planted, cottages built and schools organized. A little church 
was also built in Seattle. Universal health, peace and pros- 
perity seemed to prevail." 

At that time Rev. John P. Richmond was living at Tyn- 
dall, Bon Homme county, Dakota, where he had gone in 
1874. By some means the foregoing article came under his 
notice, and in a short time he sent a letter to Seattle from 
which several extracts are taken, as follows : 



42 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

"The writer of this does not wish to be invidious, nor 
to pluck from the brow of Col. Simmons and Mr. Holgate 
any laurels to which they may be entitled, but as he sup- 
poses that in giving an historical sketch of the settlements 
in Washington Territory, accuracy is desired by any who 
may wish or attempt to do it, he feels it his duty before he 
leaves this for the eternal world, to contribute his knowl- 
edge as to the first settlements on Puget Sound, and north 
of the Columbia river by white settlers. In order to do 
this understandingly, he makes the general declaration as to 
the main facts, first, and then details of the events as they 
occurred, in consecutive order. In the first place, the writer 
of this declares that the Rev. John P. Richmond, M. D., and 
his family were the first full-blood white settlers on Puget 
Sound and north of the Columbia river ; that his son, Fran- 
cis Richmond, now superintendent of schools for Bon 
Homme county, was the first full-blood white child born 
in Washington Territory, and west of the Rocky Moun- 
tains ; that a Mr. Willson and a Miss Clark were the first 
white couple united in matrimony in Washington Terri- 
tory. Now for the facts, in consecutive order, leading to 
the residence of the writer of this communication, near 
Puget Sound. He is now in his 73d year, having been born 
in Maryland, August 7th, 181 1, and at his advanced age 
does not wish to arrogate to himself any honors to which 
he is not entitled. He was educated and graduated as a 
physician fifty years ago in Philadelphia, and subsequently 
became a minister in the M. E. church. In 1839 he was in 
charge of the Methodist church in the city of Jacksonville, 
111., when he received notification through Rev. Dr. Bangs, 
of New York, that Dr. Richmond was appointed a mission- 
ary and physician to Oregon. As soon as practicable, he 
and his family made preparation to start for that destina- 
tion. They ascended the Illinois river as far as practicable, 
and thence by land traveled to Chicago, then a village, 
thence by steamer through the chain of lakes to Buffalo ; 
thence by the Erie canal to Troy ; thence via Albany to New 
York City. In the month of October, 1839, they sailed from 
New York in the ship Lausanne, via Rio Janeiro, in Brazil, 
Cape Horn, Valparaiso in Chili, to Honolulu, in the Sand- 
wich Islands. After remaining some weeks at Oahu they 
sailed for the Columbia river, and debarked at Vancouver 
late in the spring of 1840. There they found much hos- 
pitality from Dr. McLaughlin and James Douglas, his as- 



FOUNDING NISQUALLY MISSION. 43 

sistant, who were in charge of the Hudson Bay Company's 
operations in Oregon. The writer of this learned that Mr. 
Douglas afterward became Sir James Douglas, who recently 
died in British Columbia. After a brief sojourn at Van- 
couver Dr. Richmond and family of wife and four children, 
the youngest born on the way and named Oregon, accom- 
panied by Mr. W. H. Willson, a carpenter to build a house, 
and Miss Clark, from Connecticut as a teacher, descended 
the Columbia in a boat furnished by the gentlemen of Van- 
couver, to the mouth of the Cowlitz river ascended that 
stream some distance, then mounted horses, the ladies hav- 
ing provided sidesaddles in New York, the luggage on pack- 
saddles, and the children in the arms of the assistants, who 
were Canadian voyageurs and servants of the Hudson Bay 
Company, and traveled by land from the Cowlitz river to 
Puget Sound, having crossed on the way the Chehalis and 
Nisqually rivers, and arrived at Fort Nisqually, a stockade 
inclosure near the head of Puget Sound, in the summer of 
1840, antedating Mr. Simmons' settlement by five years. 
At Nisqually they found Mr. Kitson, with an Indian family 
in charge. He was succeeded by Mr. Anderson in 1841. 
There they found also a small but very neat steam vessel, 
owned by the H. B. Co., under the command of an Ameri- 
can, Captain McNeil, having also an Indian family. The 
vessel was called the Beaver and was the first vessel that 
plowed the Pacific waters, and which plied regularly be- 
tween Nisqually and Sitka, then owned by Russia. The 
house occupied by Dr. Richmond and family was erected 
on the open plain or prairie, contiguous to a small rivulet, 
running thro' a ravine, from a chain of small lakes in the 
interior of Puget Sound — about three quarters of a mile 
from the stockade and the same distance from Puget Sound. 
Soon after they had settled in their house, the writer of 
this solemnized the marriage ceremony which united Mr. 
Willson and Miss Clark, and who were the first couple 
married in Washington Territory. They left for the Wil- 
lamette Falls in 1841. During '41 the American Explor- 
ing squadron under Capt. Wilkes, U. S. N., arrived at Nis- 
qually and lay at anchor for some months, making surveys 
and observations, and measuring the altitude of Rainier and 
other mountains. 

"The writer of this had a son born to him in 1842, as before 
stated, and whose birth and baptism entry was made then 
and there in his family register, which reads as follows : 



44 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

"Francis Richmond, son of John P. Richmond and America, 
his wife, was born at Puget's Sound, near Nesqually, Ore- 
gon Territory, on the 28th Feb., Anno Domini, 1842, and 
was baptized by the Rev. Jason Lee, superintendent of the 
Oregon Missions." The writer of this was engaged to re- 
main for ten years in Oregon, and intended to remain his 
lifetime at Puget Sound, but domestic affliction and other 
circumstances cut short his stay to four years. As it is, he 
retrospects with much imaginary gusto the time when he 
and his family lived exclusively upon oysters and other 
shell-fish, brought by Indians from the Sound, for three 
weeks, with a pine box for a table, carried there on a pack- 
horse, with tin plates and some iron spoons for table ac- 
couterments. He wishes, very frequently, for some of those 
luscious shell-fish. Dr. Richmond and family returned to 
Illinois, via Sandwich and Society Islands, Boston, New 
York and the lakes to Chicago." 

Francis Richmond, at this time of writing, lives at Tyn- 
dall. South Dakota, and considerable correspondence has 
passed between him and the writer. 

The first white child born within the limits of "Old Ore- 
gon" was Marcel Isadore Bernier. Marcel Bernier, the 
elder, was one of the many fearless and venturesome trap- 
pers who roamed all over the vast stretch of country be- 
ween the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, wher- 
ever furs and peltries could be obtained to eke out a pre- 
carious livelihood. He and his wife were whites, Canadian 
French, not half-breeds as many of those who knew them 
on their farm in Lewis county thought them. 

The child Marcel, was born on the site of the old fort on 
the bank of the Spokane river, November 10, 1819, more 
than eighty-five years ago. As a lad he was white, with 
curly hair, and light blue eyes. At eleven years of age 
he was sent to school at St. Boniface, Red River, Manitoba, 
where he grew to manhood. In 1841, the oft-mentioned 
Red River Colony came to Nisqually and settled for a time, 
and among them were Marcel Bernier, wife and Isadore. 
In 1844, the latter married and took a claim on Newaukum 
Prairie, not far from the present line of the Northern Pacific 



SIR GEORGE SOIPSON'S TOUR. 45 

Railroad. He died December 27, 1889, a few days after the 
admission of Washington as a state, having thus been born 
here soon after the war of 1812, becoming a resident of this 
country prior to the organization of the Provisional Gov- 
ernment of Oregon, and living here through all the years of 
Washington's territorial existence. He was the senior 
"Native Son." 

The first American white child born within "Old Oregon" 
was a daughter of Dr. Marcus Whitman and wife, but she 
was drowned when two years old, the next was Eliza, 
daughter of Rev. H. H. Spalding and wife, born November 
15' 1837. She became Mrs. Warren, and is now living at 
Chelan, this State ; the third was a son of Rev. Elkanah 
Walker and wife, Cyrus H. Walker, born near the present 
site of Spokane, December 7, 1838. 

In 1841, Sir George Simpson, the governor of the Hud- 
son's Bay Company, came overland on a tour around the 
world, and reached Nisqually in September of that year. 
Some time after a party of immigrants from the Red River 
region also arrived. This migration has been generally as- 
cribed to the influence of Governor Simpson, and claimed 
to be a part of a deep laid scheme to people this western 
country with citizens of Canada and Great Britain to pre- 
vent its falling under the control of the Americans. Sir 
George mentions this party several times, but nowhere have 
I been able to find in his journal that he had anything to do 
with inducing or ordering its members to start to this coun- 
try, though, when he overtook them, on the way, he gave 
them good advice as to their route of travel and place to 
settle. He remarks : 

'There were twenty-three families, the heads being gener- 
ally young and active, though a few of them were advanced 
in life, more particularly one poor woman, upwards of sev- 
enty-five years of age, who was tottering after her son to 
his new home. This venerable wanderer was a native of 
the Saskatchewan, the name of which, in fact she bore. She 
had been absent from this the land of her birth for eighteen 
years ; and, on catching the first glimpse of the river, from 



46 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

the hill near Carlton, she burst, under the influence of old 
recollection, into a violent flood of tears. 

"As a contrast to this superannuated daughter of the Sas- 
katchewan, the band contained several young travelers, who 
had, in fact, made their appearance in this world since the 
commencement of the journey. Beyond the inevitable de- 
tention, which seldom exceeded a few hours, these inter- 
esting events had never interfered with the progress of the 
brigade ; and both mother and child used to jog on, as if 
jogging on were the condition of human existence. 

"Each family had two or three carts, together with bands 
of horses, cattle and dogs. The men and lads traveled on 
the saddle, Avhile the vehicles which were covered with awn- 
ings against the sun and rain, carried the women and young 
children. As they marched in single file, their cavalacade 
extended above a mile in length. The emigrants were all 
healthy and happy, living in the greatest abundance and en- 
joying the journey with the highest relish." 

The Governor came down the Columbia river to Van- 
couver, and spent several days in and about that place, then 
down the Columbia and up the Cowlitz and overland to 
the Sound. He says : 

"After crossing the 'Squally river, we arrived at Fort 
Nisqually, on the evening of our fourth day from Van- 
couver. (Sept. 4th.) Being unwilling to commence our 
voyage on a Sunday, we remained here for six and thirty 
hours, inspecting the farm and dairy, and visiting Dr. Rich- 
mond, an American missionary, stationed in the neighbor- 
hood. The surrounding scenery is very beautiful. On the 
borders of an arm of the sea, of about two miles in width, 
are undulating plains of excellent pasturage, presenting 
a pretty variety of copses of oak and placid lakes, and 
abounding in Chevreuil (deer) and other game. 

"The sound yields plenty of fish, such as salmon, rock 
cod, halibut, flounders, etc. The dogfish and shark are also 
numerous, some of the latter having been caught here this 
summer of five or six feet in length. 

"Near the Fort there was a small camp of 'Squallies, under 
the command of Lackalett, a good friend of the traders. 
The establishment is frequented also by the Clallams, the 
Paaylaps, the Scatchetts, the Checaylis, and other tribes, 
amounting in all, the 'Squallies included, to nearly four 
thousand souls." 



FAILURE OF PROTESTANT MISSIONARIES. 47 

John Flett was a member of this Red River brigade of 
1841, and after the treaty of 1846 he became an American 
citizen of fine character, and was well known among the 
pioneers until his death a few years ago. To most of those 
who Avere with the H. B. Company during the early years 
of American settlement, but, in later years, were naturalized 
as citizens of this country, the emphasis laid upon "Ameri- 
can born," "first American child," etc., was annoying, so 
when Flett saw Mr. Richmond's letter, he called upon El- 
wood Evans, and they prepared an article that was pub- 
lished in the Daily News, of Tacoma, Feb. 2, 1884, sharply 
criticising the clerical writer. Most of this would be of 
little present interest, except the closing paragraphs, in 
which he says : 

"I cannot account for the desire of the reverend gentle- 
man to see an Indian in every family but his own, unless he 
had Indian on the brain. He fills two news columns, but 
never gives us a word about his mission work. I hope he 
will come out with a historical sketch of the work on the 
Nisqually Plains. I have never had the first Indian to tell 
me that he knew the gentleman as a missionary. Several 
knew him as a "Boston," living on the stream on the north 
side of the small brook near the place of Edward Huggins, 
Esq., who now owns old Fort Nisqually. 

"I have a bible that Mr. Richmond gave me in 1841, that 
I prize much. It has been my companion for many years. 
I wish I could present the public something that the first 
missionary left in the country besides this book." 

In all kindness, I feel like approving what Mr. Flett said. 
I have been trying for two years to find out something about 
the missionary work at this point, but there is nothing left 
to find out. The fact is that the religious work of the early 
missionaries among the Indians was a complete failure at 
Nisqually, at Salem, at The Dalles, at Wailatpu, at Lapwai, 
and everywhere else. The Methodists were the first to 
recognize this fact and to accept its consequences. They 
abandoned their outlying posts, and concentrated their work 
in the Willamette valley, among the white people and soon 



48 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

had flourishing churches and schools that have done effec- 
tive work for good for more than sixty years. 

A copy of Flett's letter was sent to Dr. Richmond, and in 
April the latter's reply appeared in the News, and occu- 
pied over three columns. Much of this is not available for 
use here, though several paragraphs help make up the 
record. The Doctor says : 

"It was not as a missionary that I wrote to the Seattle 
Chronicle to correct some errors as to the first American 
family settled on Puget Sound, and north of the Columbia 
river, now embraced in Washington Territory. Neither do I 
feel under any obligations to report my operations for John 
Flett's edification, or for that of anybody else. It was done 
more than forty years ago, when I addressed the missionary 
board at New York for more than three hours at two ses- 
sions. Bishop Hedding presiding at the first and Bishop 
Morris at the second, with Dr. Charles Pitman as secretary 
of the board, after which my report and operations in the 
Oregon country were unanimously approved. That matter 
was concluded to my satisfaction. I have never undertaken 
to vaunt my achievements in the Puget Sound region, or 
anywhere else. 

"Very few persons seem capable of comprehending the 
logic or the pure purposes of the board of American Mis- 
sions in sending a large force of men and women into Ore- 
gon at an early day, commencing with or during Gen. Jack- 
son's administration, and continued more or less until the 
settlement of the controvening claims of the United States 
and the British government to the occupancy of that terri- 
tory in 1846, on the 49th degree of north latitude. The 
question was held in abeyance by the treaties of joint occu- 
pancy until that year, and until then the Hudson Bay Com- 
pany, and the subsidiary organization called the Puget 
Sound Agricultural Company, had stretched their army 
more or less all over the Territory, and were urging the 
British Government to hold fast to their pretensions. Hence 
the Puget Sound Agricultural Company had enlivened the 
plains back of Puget Sound with flocks of sheep and herds 
of cattle, with their concomitants of shepherds, shepherd 
dogs, herders, dairy farms, and servants to conduct them. On 
the Willamette river they had their superannuated servants 
planted upon the best of the soil and founded or commenced 



HISTORY OF JOINT OCCUPATION. 49 

the building of Oregon City, at Willamette Falls. I met 
with a number of French Canadian settlers on the plains 
above the Willamette Falls in 1841, every one of whom had 
families, had Indian wives and half-breed children, and they 
were all subject to the Hudson Bay Company's authority. 
It was in pursuance of the same policy that brought here 
the "seventeen families" or colony referred to by John 
Flett, settled in the neighborhood of Puget Sound, under 
the direction of Sir George Simpson, in 1841. 

"In 1827 a treaty between the governments of Great 
Britain and the United States, as a temporary compromise 
agreed to a joint occupancy, which could be terminated by 
either party, by giving twelve months' notice. This oc- 
curred during the administration of John Quincy Adams. 
Under this condition of things the Hudson Bay Company 
had free sway — their jurisdiction was acknowledged by all 
their servants and employees. They had British or Canad- 
ian laws, with officers and magistrates to enforce them. 
Dr. McLaughlin assumed to reign as an autocrat, and exer- 
cised both judicial and executive functions in that part of 
the Hudson Bay Company's dominions. On the other hand 
American settlers had the protection of no law until they 
themselves created a provisional government, and my old 
friend, Geo. Abernethy, connected with the Methodist mis- 
sion, was appointed or elected first Governor in Oregon by 
American citizens. From the time that Mr. Jason Lee and 
his nephew, Daniel, were sent into that region, the mission- 
ary society of the Methodist Epispocal Church were labor- 
ing to establish a foundation deep and v^ide for the enter- 
prise, the civilization, and above all the Christianity that 
should be developed by proper influences to operate upon 
the immigrants who were expected to follov/, and who did 
follow them in a few years. In the meantime they were 
to use every appliance available for the betterment of the 
condition of the Indian aborigines. My part of the work 
was to represent American citizenship and American enter- 
prise in the same capacity in the region of Puget Sound. I 
had no complaints to make against the deportment of the 
gentlemen of the Hudson Bay Company, whom I encount- 
ered, in the matter of hospitality. But I wish to be dis- 
tinctly understood that in all cases they received their com- 
pensation, and I was never a subject of their charity, and 
generally I could not but be impressed with the conviction 
that T was regarded as an intruder. On the contrary I could 



50 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

not divest myself of the conviction that I was treading upon 
American soil, and had all the indefeasable rights belonging 
to an American citizen in his own country, and acted ac- 
cordingly, in view of the circumstances surrounding me. 
Hence when I was introduced to Sir George Simpson I 
could not but feel that he was trying to snub me as his in- 
ferior, and too insignificant personage for his dignified no- 
tice. I did not much wonder at it, because he appeared to 
be surrounded by a body of sycophants. While I was will- 
ing to accord to him all his titular honors, I could not feel 
he was my superior in any respect, and I was forced to the 
conclusion that he was an aristocratic snob, who, while 
occupying a dignified position, probably possessed more 
money than brains. Of all the officers of the Hudson Bay 
Company with whom I became acquainted I was the most 
favorably impressed by the courteous manners and intelli- 
gence of Sir James Douglas. 

"He also happened to know Capt. McNeil of the steamei 
Beaver, and that I might have well have affirmed that his 
family were white. I was intimately acquainted with Capt 
McNeil for several years ; he often ate at my table, and 
on one occasion he brought with him two or three very in- 
teresting half-blood children, and requested me to baptize 
them, which I did. His wife was a full-blood Indian from 
somewhere on the North-west coast, and was comely in 
appearance, but rather pendulous in her movements. I 
apprehend that Mr. Flett knew very little about Capt. Mc- 
Neil. Mr. Flett appears to have made a new discovery in 
ethnology, that as soon as a white man mingles his blood 
with an Indian woman, their progeny are transformed im- 
mediately into whites, and they must be recognized as a 
wdiite family. I never was an admirer, much less an advo- 
cate of miscegenation, particularly the mixture of the Cau- 
cassian with the lower races of the human family — but I 
have regarded with less reorehension the mingling of the 
white with the Indian blood. In a long, varied life I have 
encountered it among the Cherokees in Mississippi, among 
the Indians in Oregon and also in Dakota where white men 
thus associated are designated squaw men. Where I have 
encountered these relations T have regarded them with as 
much leniency as possible, and when expedient, I have in- 
variably urged legal marriages. As to the marriage of Mr. 
Willson and Miss Clark, I still hold that theirs was the first 
marriage of full blood whites, and of American citizens in 



SKETCH OF DR. RICHMOND. 51 

Washington Territory. The second marriage of the same 
description 1 solemnized on board ship m Baker's Bay, be- 
tween Mr. Rogers, connected with the American Board of 
Missions, and Miss Leslie, a daughter of Rev. David Leslie, 
Methodist missionary in the Willamette Valley." 

The following paragraph is by Mr. Frost, in an old book 
entitled, "Ten Years in Oregon, by Lee and Frost," both 
of whom are mentioned elsewhere. It says : 

"On the ist day of September, 1842, we were highly 
gratified with a visit from my old and tried friend, the Rev. 
Dr. Richmond, and Mr. Whitcomb, whose families were on 
board of the Chenamus, which was lying at Astoria, and 
on board of which they had taken passage to the United 
States. The Doctor had become satisfied that the pros- 
pects of usefulness among the Indians would not warrant 
his longer continuance in the country. This I am fully con- 
vinced was the true state of the case : and, besides this, he 
had sufifered much in consequence of family affliction. I 
should be very happy to have recourse to his journal, so 
that I might have the pleasure of laying before our readers 
some of the scenes through which he had passed while at 
Nisqually, where I left him, just taking possession of the 
post assigned him, in the summer of 1840; but this privi- 
lege is denied me in consequence of the distance which now 
separates us." 

From this same book it appears that the trip made by 
Richmond in 1841, as mentioned in his letter above, was to 
attend the session of the annual church conference. 

Rev. John P. Richmond, M. D., was born on the 7th day 
of August, 181 1, in the City of Middleton, Maryland, and 
died August 28th, 1895, aged 84 years and 21 days. 

The subject of this sketch was a remarkable man, and 
lived an eventful life. He was the lineal descendant of 
John Richmond, of England, who emigrated to Virginia 
late in the i6th century, and all along down the list of de- 
scendants are to be found men of learning and of distin- 
guished characteristics, among them, Rev. Leigh Richmond 
and the distinguished Dean Richmond of New York City. 

Doctor Richmond was the son of Francis Richmond, by 
his wife, who was a member of the distinguished Stottle- 



52 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

meyer family, of Maryland. His youthful aspirations were 
to become a physician, and at the age of twenty he was 
graduated from a noted medical college in Philadelphia, then 
under the management of the celebrated Dr. McFarland, 
but his religious conversion soon following he took a course 
in theology and at the age of twenty-three he held a license 
to preach from the Methodist church. About this time he 
was united in marriage to Mrs. America Talley, widow of 
the lately deceased Rev. A. Talley, M. D., superintendent 
of the Choctaw Missions. She was a native of Alabama, 
and a member of a Walker family. 

Possessed of strong physique, indomitable will and large 
Christian zeal, Dr. Richmond elected to enter the itineracy 
of the Illinois conference. The father of the writer, Rev. 
Daniel Bagley, about six years later, entered this same work 
in this same field, in another branch of the Methodist church 
and underwent the same hardships and experiences here 
recounted of Dr. Richmond. Assigned to a timbered por- 
tion of the state, almost a wilderness as yet, often no road 
to follow except that outlined by blazed trees, his circuit 
embraced a large territory. On horseback, with saddle- 
bags, fording streams and swimming torrents, making the 
round once in three weeks, and preaching twenty-six times, 
he never then or ever afterward failed to meet his appoint- 
ment if it was a human possibility. Upon one occasion, in 
particular, after having swum the swollen Snye Cartye, he 
was so unfortunate as to lose his saddlebags, and was towed 
to land by holding on to his horse's tail, yet, arriving on 
time, he preached his sermon while his clothes were drying 
on him. 

Of course, the promotion of such a man was rapid, and 
shortly afterward we find him stationed at Jacksonville, 
from whence, in 1839, he was sent to the Oregon Board of 
Missions in the capacity of physician as well as mission- 
ary. 

After returning from that field of labor to Illinois, he 
was stationed at Springfield, Quincy, and other points, ex- 



BURNING OF NISQUALLY MISSION. 53 

ercising his gifts with telling effect. His regular labors in 
the ministry ended in 1854, but he continued to preach at 
intervals on suitable occasions so long as his physical and 
mental powers remained intact. While in the ministry he 
was a tower of strength, a mighty force, inferior in ability 
to but very few of his distinguished associates. 

He was held in high esteem by Peter Cartwright and was 
his family physician for some time. 

His constituency always loved to honor him in later years. 
He served in the Senate of Illinois, while Abraham Lincoln 
sat in the lower house ; he was speaker of the lower house 
while the present Chief Justice Fuller, and Morri- 
son and John Logan occupied seats in that body; he was 
chosen by the Electoral College of his state to cast its vote 
for President in 1856; was chosen a member of two con- 
stitutional conventions of the state and for eight years was 
superintendent of schools. 

Dr. Richmond and family left their station at Nisqually 
in the last days of August, 1842, having been there a little 
more than two years. They returned overland to the Cow- 
litz river over the same rugged trail they had followed in 
1840, thence down the Cowlitz and the Columbia to the 
ship that carried them home by way of the Sandwich Is- 
lands and Cape Horn, so that while their actual stay at 
Nisqually was a little more than two years, nearly four 
years were consumed in their missionary trip. 

A few days after they left the Indians burned their cabin. 
I have before me a letter from Doctor McLaughlin, dated 
at Vancouver, 23rd Sept., 1842, to Angus McDonald, in 
which are detailed instructions about the Company's cattle 
at Nisqually. He closes by, saying, "I am sorry to hear 
that the Indians have burnt Dr. Richmond's house. Every 
endeavor ought to be made to give the perpetrator a good 
fright so as to prevent others doing the same thing; I say 
to give them a good fright, as I would not wish we found 
out who did it, as we would not be justified, perhaps, in 
giving him corporeal ptmishment, and if we knew who it 



54 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

was, and did not do so, it might induce the Indians to do the 
like again ; our policy, therefore, is not to find who did it 
but to make a noise about it so as to frighten the Indians 
from doing the like." 

No reason for this destruction of the cabin ever came to 
light. Many of the Indians were Catholics, and it may 
have been sectarian fanaticism on the part of some of them, 
but the following incident often related by Doctor Rich- 
mond and his wife, furnishes a more probable reason for 
the incident: 

There was an Indian who became infatuated with bright, 
black-eyed baby, Francis, and first made efforts to obtain 
possession of his person by traffic, and, failing in this, he 
proceeded to abduct him. As the Indian afterward ex- 
plained, his object was to adopt the little fellow into his 
tribe. One day. Doctor Richmond had gone to the Fort, 
the mother was in the main room busy with domestic duties, 
the baby was in the cradle in the outer room or shed, and 
the other children were ofif on a ramble. The mother heard 
a rustling and a slight cry from baby and hastened to the 
room to find the cradle empty and the outside door open. 
Glancing through the open window, she saw the Indian with 
the baby in his arms, making ofT over the prairie toward the 
Sound. With her to see was to act. She seized a loaded 
rifle, which was ever at hand, sprang to the outside door 
and drew a bead on the Indian, but if she was quick, the 
Indian was equally so, for he saw her in time and turning 
held up the baby between him and her, and continued to re- 
treat backward. This, no doubt saved his life, as Mrs. 
Richmond was a dead shot with the rifle. At this moment 
she saw her husband on a rising ground coming from the 
Fort, and making a sign which he recognized, he started 
on the run. The mother left the house in pursuit of the re- 
treating Indian, the pursued and the pursuer keeping about 
the same relative distance until the latter came to one corner 
of the palisades of the Fort, when the Doctor coming up 
behind him knocked him down with the cane which appears 



GENEROSITY OF H. B. CO.'S OFFICIALS. 55 

in the illustration. The mother handed the gun to the father 
and picked up the baby. The Indian sprang up and seized 
the cane, but, after quite a scuffle, the Doctor recovered 
possession of it and again knocked his antagonist down, 
after which he took the gun back to the house for the 
mother and then went back to the Fort and reported the 
circumstance to the officers. Search was made for the In- 
dian, and after much time spent he was found concealed 
under a large mat. His head and face were badly bruised 
and swollen, and, the Doctor interceding for him, he was 
let off with light punishment. When the Richmonds were 
embarking for their return home, this same Indian was dis- 
covered prowling around suspiciously, and was taken in 
custody to the Fort, but, no doubt, later wreaked his re- 
venge so far as possible by the destruction of the house. 

In Doctor Richmond's letters and in every book written 
by the early missionaries — of which I have seven or eight, 
long out of print and exceedingly rare — the writers acknowl- 
edge and emphasize their great obligations to the officers 
of the Hudson's Bay Company at their many posts for 
their generous hospitality, uniform courtesy, and consider- 
ate acts of continuing kindness. Still, all through their 
writings runs a vein of ill concealed resentment, or of open 
unfriendliness. At this late day, this seems little short of 
blackest ingratitude ; but, to one familiar with the affairs 
of that period, there seems some excuse for it. 

While not all the officers of the Company were Catholics, 
still the influence of the entire organization was favorable 
to that Church. Nearly every subordinate was a Catholic, 
and, so far as I can find out, all the wives and daughters 
of high and low degree were members of that Church. Its 
priests were welcomed as friends and companions ; with 
them it was not a matter of hospitality or of courtesy, but 
wherever the "Blackgowns" went they found an open house 
and a seat of honor at the table and by the fireside. As 
said elsewhere, this had great influence upon the minds of 
the Indians, and in the vicinity of every Hudson's Bay Com- 



56 PIONEER RE^riNISCENCES. 

pany post, the Catholic missionaries left few if any converts 
for the other churches. Besides this sectarian condition 
of affairs, opposing political interests arose. The Catholic 
priests and the Hudson's Bay people were all foreigners, 
and all opposed to the organization of a civil government 
in Oregon at the time the missionaries and the free Ameri- 
can settlers began their efforts in that direction. 

Doctor Richmond says in his letter that he had no com- 
plaint of the gentlemen of the Hudson's Bay Company in 
the matter of hospitality, but that he paid for all he re- 
ceived and was never a subject of their charity. This is, 
perhaps true, but ungracious ; besides he could not be ig- 
norant that he and his family were under the protection cf 
the Company, that they could not have remained safely in 
their lonely cabin but for this protection, and that under 
direction from Governor McLoughlin those in charge of 
Fort Nisqually did much for them that money alone could 
not pay for ; that only thanks and gratitude could be offered 
as a recompense. 

In a letter to A. C. Anderson, of October 17, 1840, the 
Governor says, "You will please supply Dr. Richmond with 
five bushels of pease and four barrels of flour." In another 
of May 8th, 1841, "You may continue to break in and milk 
as many cows as you can. It is not so important to milk 
them for a long time as to break in so that next year we 
may establish several dairies at the place. You can lend 
six broken-in cows to the Methodist Mission for the sea- 
son, and after sometime when their calves are big you will 
let them go and give the missionaries others in their place," 
February i, 1841, "Please hand the accompanying pamph- 
lets to Rev. Dr. Richmond with my compliments, and after 
perusal I beg he will return them to you, and you will please 
send them back by first opportunity." 

Here was the head of the Hudson's Bay Company's af- 
fairs on the Pacific coast, with stations scattered all over the 
area much larger than "Old Oregon." because it reached 
northward to the Russian Possessions, with all the complex 



CAPT. WILKES' CELEBRATION AT NISQUALLY. 57 

interests of that giant power to oversee, a domination kingly 
in its extent, and undisputed everywhere ; but this man was 
not too busy or too indifferent to forget the comfort of a 
lonely family of an alien race over on the shores of Puget 
Sound. Volumes could not more surely prove the grandeur 
of character, or the simple loveableness, of this prince 
among men, John McLOughlin. 

Again, a few years later, but for this same kindly spirit 
of unselfish charitableness, it would have gone hard with 
the advance guard of true pioneers who established Amer- 
ican settlements about the headwaters of Puget Sound. 
The}^ might not have starved, but they would have gone 
hungry and poorly clothed, and felt the hardships and pri- 
vations of the first few years far more than they did but 
for the aid so often extended to them at Fort Nisqually. 

July fourth, 1841, was a notable day at Nisqually, as it 
was celebrated in genuine Yankee fashion, the first event of 
the kind on the Pacific Coast, and, probably, west of the 
Missouri river. Capt. Wilkes declared a holiday, and the 
crew were given a whole day of frolic and pleasure. He 
purchased an ox of the Company, which they were allowed 
to barbecue, and they also made their own arrangements 
for the celebration. 

The place selected was near one of the small lakes lying 
to the eastward, and from that time it has been known as 
American Lake. Here they slaughtered their ox and spit- 
ted him on a sapling large enough to support its weight, 
the ends of the spit resting in the forks of other small trees 
that had been set in the ground for the purpose. A trench, 
perhaps four feet deep, and large enough to hold the car- 
cass, was dug. In this a large fire of dry wood that gave 
oft' little smoke, was maintained, and over this the carcass 
was turned slowly until thoroughly cooked. 

All was activity and bustle on the 5th, as the 4th fell on 
Sunday. Before nine o'clock all the men were mustered on 
board in clean white frocks and trousers, and all, including 
the marines and music, were landed shortly afterward, to 



58 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

march to the scene of festivity, about a mile distant. The 
procession was formed at the observatory just at the brow 
of the hill, whence all marched off with flags flying and 
music playing. Two brass howitzers were also carried to 
the prairie to fire the usual salutes. When the procession 
reached Fort Nisqually, they stopped, gave three cheers, 
and waited, sailor-like, until it was returned. This was 
done only by a few voices, a circumstance which did not 
fail to produce many jokes among the seamen. On reach- 
ing the ground, various games occupied the crew, while 
the officers also amused themselves in the same manner. At 
the usual hour, dinner was piped, when all repaired to par- 
take of the barbecue. By this time the Indians had gath- 
ered from all quarters, and were silently looking on at the 
novel sight, and wistfully regarding the feast which they 
saw going on before them. At this time a salute was fired, 
when one of the men had his arm most dreadfully lacerated 
from the sudden explosion of the gun. This accident put a 
momentary stop to the hilarity of the occasion, but men-of- 
wars-men were familiar with such scenes, and the interrup- 
tion did not last long. The amusements of the morning 
were now exchanged for that of horse racing, a sport always 
in favor with Jack ashore. Of course thej'^ had many tum- 
bles off the wild horses provided by the Indians of the 
place, for a consideration. There were many tumbles, but 
no one was injured. 

In 1846, the British war vessel, Fisgard, lay a long time 
at anchor in Nisqually bay, and horse racing was one of the 
chief amusements of the men-of-wars-men at that time. A 
regular race course was laid out in the small prairie north 
of the Fort, which had been then moved to the site so famil- 
iar to early day settlers, and now known as "Huggins' 
Place." It was a half mile around, flat and smooth, with 
grand stand, etc., all complete. Indians came from east of 
the mountains with their race horses, and betting at these 
races was the only way the sailors had to spend their money, 
that and riding horses. 



DR. RICHMOND'S PROPHETIC ORATION. 59 

Doctor Richmond delivered the oration which was one of 
the features of the old-time celebrations, but the record fails 
to say who read the Declaration of Independence. Here are 
a couple of extracts from the Doctor's address : 

"The average man, faithful to the lines of human reason 
and experience, and unconsciously inclined to attribute to 
Deity thoughts similar to his own, often makes most grave 
and hazardous ventures with respect to the will and the 
designs of Providence. Upon Fourth-of- Julys, especially, 
we are irresistibly impelled to entertain the belief that the 
whole of this magnificent region, so inestimably rich in the 
bounties of nature, and susceptible of measureless develop- 
ment, is destined to become one of the physical ingredients 
of our beneficent Republic. The time will come, though 
you and I may not live to realize it, when these hills and 
valleys will have become peopled by our free and enterpris- 
ing countrymen, when yonder towering mountains will look 
down upon magnificent cities, fertile farms, and smoking 
manufactories. Every succeeding Fourth of July there will 
gather together hosts of freemen to recall the glorious past 
of their country and to renew their fidelity to the maxims of 
the fathers of the Republic as embodied in that grand state 
paper which has been this day eloquently and effectively 
read to us. 

"Still further than I have ventured to define, the eye of 
the philosopher may penetrate the future to view its won- 
derful and inevitable developments. It may see the sure and 
steady advance of our dominion to the frozen regions of the 
North and to that narrow strip of land which connects this 
continent with its sister of the South ; when, in this "New 
World" there will have arisen into boundless wealth and 
power the grandest nation which, in all the annals of man- 
kind, will have appeared upon the earth. 

"Your names and mine may not appear among the records 
of the future historians of this region ; but those of our de- 
scendants will appear. Where our work will end theirs 
will begin, and we may be sure that as we would now define 
for them their careers, so they will perform their parts in 
the grand pageants of American Patriotism. 

"Providently instructed by their knowledge of the past 
of nations of the deadly dangers therewith, the illustrious 
founders of the Republic declared against the union of 



60 • PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

church and state ; and this doctrine involved both the fact 
and the theory, both the reality and the suggestion ; but 
what I now venture to say I am sure will be considered as 
no violation of any of the doctrines of the fathers. While 
it would be untrue to claim that Christianity was the foun- 
der of civilization, knowing as we do that the greatest of 
all past civilizations was just expiring when Christ ap- 
peared, yet it is undeniably true that the world's civilization 
of today is indissolubly connected with the religion of 
Christ ; and neither could survive the fall of the other. This 
permits me to say of our mission in this remote region that, 
by bringing to these savage children of the wilderness the 
truths of Christianity, we encourage in them that future de- 
velopment of character which will fit them to act creditably 
their destined parts as citizens of the Republic." 

Late in the summer of 1838, there left New York harbor 
the first National Maritime Exploring Expedition fitted 
out by the Government. It consisted of five vessels, under 
the command of Charles Wilkes, who afterward became 
noted by reason of his capture of the English ship Trent, 
and taking out of her the Confederate commissioners, Mason 
and Slidell, who were on their way to Europe on business 
of the Confederacy. The work of this expedition was so 
well done that it is a matter of national pride to this day. 
There were two ships of war, the Vincennes and Peacock, 
the brig -of war, Porpoise, and two tenders that had been 
pilot boats and renamed Sea Gull and Flying Fish. The 
corps of scientists consisted of nine men noted in their sev- 
eral fields of work in their day. There were eighty-six offi- 
cers and five hundred and ninety seamen. 

They were directed to examine the region about the Rio 
Negro on the southerly coast of South America, to explore 
the southern Antarctic to the southward of Powell's Group, 
to proceed southward and westward in the Southern Pacific 
as far as Captain Cook had gone in any of his voyages, to 
survey the Navigator's Group, the Feejee Islands, and select 
a harbor there, and in 1840. to proceed to the Sandwich 
Islands, where a government store-ship was to meet them. 
Thence thev were to direct their course to the Northwest 



WILKES' EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 61 

Coast of America, making such surveys and examinations, 
first of the territory of the United States on the seaboard, 
and of the Cokimbia river, and afterwards along- the Coast 
of California, then Mexican territory, with special reference 
to the bay of San Francisco, as could be accomplished by the 
month of October of that year. This was only a small part 
of the work that was planned for accomplishment. 

Pursuant to these orders Capt. Wilkes found himself sail- 
ing up the Straits of Fuca May i, 1841. They first stopped 
at Port Discovery for a few days, but on the nth of that 
month they dropped anchor at Nisqually, near where the 
steamer Beaver was undergoing repairs, in command of 
Capt. McNeil, while A. C. Anderson was in charge of the 
Fort. The latter gave the party a warm reception, and 
offered it all the assistance in their power. Capt. Wilkes 
remarks, "Nothing can exceed the beauty of these waters, 
and their safety : Not a shoal exists within the Straits of 
San Juan de Fuca, Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, or Hood's 
Canal, that can in anyway interrupt their navigation by a 
seventy-four gun ship. I venture nothing in saying there 
is no country in the world that possesses waters equal to 
these. The shore, here, rises abruptly, to a height of about 
two hundred feet, and on top of the ascent is an extended 
plain, covered with pine, oak, and ash trees, scattered here 
and there so as to form a park-like scene. The hillside is 
mounted by a well constructed road, of easy ascent ; from 
the summit of the road the view is beautiful, over the Sound 
and its many islands, with Mount Olympus covered with 
snow for a background. Fort Nisqually, with its outbuild- 
ings and enclosure, stands back half a mile from the edge of 
the table land." 

The Porpoise, with tAvo of the Vincennes' boats, under 
Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold, were directed to take 
up the survey of Admiralty Inlet. The launch, first cutter 
and two other boats of the Vincennes, under command of 
Lieut. Case, were sent to survey Hood's Canal. Another 
party intended for land explorations, was formed under the 



62 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

command of Lieutenant Johnson of the Porpoise. Eighty 
days were allowed for the operations of this party, which it 
was intended should cross the Cascade mountains and the 
Columbia river, and up that valley to Fort Colville, thence 
south to Rev. Spalding's Mission at Lapwai, on what was 
in the early days called the Kooskooskie river, thence to 
Walla Walla, and thence returning by way of the Yakima 
river, and over the mountains to the place of departure. This 
was the first party of Americans to cross the Cascades, 
though the Hudson's Bay people had used the mountain 
route for several years earlier. They found the Indians had 
a regular trail over the range, passing to the northward of 
Mount Rainier, when they first settled at Nisqually. 

An observatory was established on the brow of the hill, 
a few rods north of the roadway, and within hail of the 
ships. The remains of the observatory remained until a 
few years ago when the proposed new railroad across from 
the Sound to the Columbia river was surveyed and mostly 
graded, when at this point the grade entirely obliterated the 
old landmark. 

Captain Wilkes also arranged for another land party, 
headed by himself with four companions. Their intended 
route was across the country to the Cowlitz, and down that 
stream and the Columbia river to Astoria, then back to Van- 
couver, and up the valley of the Willamette, and then up 
the Columbia river to Fort Walla Walla. 

While these preparations were making he visited and re- 
ceived visits from the white people at the station. He men- 
tions receiving visits from Chief Factor Anderson and Cap- 
tain McNeil, and from Doctor Richmond and Mr. Willson. 
Of the two former he remarks, that both reside in the Fort ; 
both are married to half-breeds, and have several fine chil- 
dren. He also visited Dr. Richmond, and says : 

"Here I found Mrs. Richmond and Mrs. Willson, the 
former of whom has four fine, rosy and fat children, whose 
appearance speaks volumes for the health of the climate. 
This mission was but reccntlv established ; so far as re- 



WILKES ON MISSIONARY WORK. 63 

spects its prospects, they are not very flattering. The loca- 
tion of the mission-house, on the borders of an extensive 
and beautiful prairie, can scarcely be surpassed, and would 
be admirably adapted for a large settlement, if the soil was 
in any respect equal to its appearance. At the season when 
we arrived, nothing could be more beautiful, or to appear- 
ance more luxuriant than the plains, which were covered 
with flowers of every color and kind." 

After visiting the missionary stations in the Willamette 
valley and elsewhere, he gives a summary of his observa- 
tions. The writer became acquainted with the condition 
of affairs in the Willamette valley only ten years after 
Captain Wilkes was there and by frequent interchange of 
views with others who were well acquainted with other 
parts of the mission work at that time and subsequent there- 
to, as well as a careful perusal of practically all that has 
been published regarding the same, he quotes, with his ap- 
proval, what the Captain said at that time, as follows : 

"We were exceedingly desirous of obtaining information 
as to the future plans of these missionaries as to teaching 
and otherwise forwarding the civilization of the Indian 
boys, but from all that we could learn from the missionaries, 
as well as lay members, my impression was, that no fixed 
plan of operations had been digested ; and I was somewhat 
surprised to hear them talking of putting up extensive build- 
ings for missionary purposes, when it is fully apparent that 
there is but a very limited field for spiritual operations in 
this part of the country. The number now attached and 
under tuition are probably all that can be converted, and 
does not exceed the number attached to the mission. I 
was exceedingly desirous of drawing their attention to the 
tribes of the north, which are a more numerous and hardier 
race, with a healthy climate. It is true that a mission has 
been established at Nisqually, but they are doing nothing 
with the native tribes, and that post is only on the borders 
of many larger tribes to the northward. As the holders of 
a charge, committed to their hands by a persevering and en- 
lightened class of Christians at home, who are greatly in- 
terested in their doings and actions, they will be held re- 
sponsible for any neglect in the great cause they have under- 



64 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

taken to advance, and in which much time and money have 
been spent. 

"That all may judge of the extent of this field of mission- 
ary labors, I will enumerate the numbers of Indians within 
its limits. Nisqually, two hundred ; Clatsop, two hundred 
and nine ; Chinooks, two hundred and twenty ; Kilamukes, 
four hundred ; Callapuyas, six himdred ; Dalles, two hun- 
dred and fifty: say in all in this district, two thousand In- 
dians; and this field is in part occupied by the Catholics, 
as I have before stated. Of these, the Methodist mission- 
aries have under their instruction, if so it may be called, 
twenty-five at the Willamette station ; at the Dalles, and 
occasionally on the Klackamus river, are the only places 
where divine services are attempted. I would not have it 
understood that by these remarks I have any desire to throw 
blame on those who direct or are concerned in this mission- 
ary enterprise, or to make any imputations on the laborers ; 
but I feel it a duty I owe my countrymen, to lay the truth 
before them, such as we saw it. I am aware that the mis- 
sionaries come out to this country to colonize, and with 
the Christian religion as their guide and law, to give the 
necessary instruction, and hold out inducements to the 
Indians to quit their wandering habits, settle and become 
cultivators of the soil. This object has not been yet at- 
tained in any degree, as was admitted by the missionaries 
themselves ; and how it is to be effected without having 
constantly around them large numbers, and without exer- 
tions and strenuous efforts, I am at a loss to conceive. I 
cannot but believe that the same labor and money which 
have been expended here, would have been much more ap- 
propriately and usefully spent about the Straits of Juan de 
Fuca, who are numerous, and fit objects of instruction." 

The nomenclature of the waters from Port Townsend 
southward to the heads of Budd's Inlet and of Hood's Canal 
is almost entirely the result of this survey and exploration 
of Wilkes, while of the waters to the northward it is almost 
all that of Vancouver in 1792, though the Spanish explorers 
of an earlier day established some names that still remain. 

To the party under Lieut. Commander Ringgold fell the 
task of surveying from the Narrows down east side of Vash- 
on's Island, thence northward on both sides of the Sound, 
particularly all the bays that would afford shelter for ves- 



WILLIAM HOLDEN WILLSON. 65 

sels, not only as harbors but for temporary anchorage. Un- 
der these orders the bay in front of what is now Seattle was 
surveyed and sounded and named after Samuel Elliot, mid- 
shipman of the Vincennes, which is probable or in honor of 
Chaplain J. L. Elliot of the same vessel who left the ex- 
pedition at San Francisco in October, 1841. Captain Wilkes 
says : 

"The first bay at the bottom of Admiralty Inlet was term- 
ed Commencement Bay. Into this falls the Puyallup, which 
forms a delta, and none of the branches into which it is 
divided are large enough for the entrance of a boat. The 
Indians were at this season of the year to be found on all 
the points, and were the same filthy creatures that have been 
before described." 

"Port Orchard is one of the most beautiful of the many 
fine harbors on these inland waters, and is perfectly pro- 
tected from the winds. The sheet of water is extensive, and 
is surrounded by a large growth of trees, with here and 
there a small prairie covered by a verdant greensward, and 
with its honeysuckles and roses just in bloom, resembling 
a well-kept lawn. The woods seemed alive with squirrels, 
while tracks on the shore and through the forest showed that 
the larger class of animals were also in the habit of fre- 
quenting them." 

William Holden Willson and Miss Chloe Aurelia Clark 
were united in marriage at Nisqually, August 16, 1840. To 
the writer this is a coincidence, for his parents, Rev. Daniel 
Bagley and Miss Susannah Rogers Whipple, were married 
the day preceding, or August 15, 1840. My father was sent 
out by the Board of Missions of the Methodist Protestant 
church, and we arrived in Salem, on the townsite laid off 
by Willson, and named by him after the Massachusetts 
town of that name, September 21, 1852, where we found him 
and his wife occupying a fine home, the Doctor having 
already acquired considerable wealth at that early day. The 
two families became well acquainted, and a strong friend- 
ship grew up between the Doctor and my father. The 
Doctor gave my father a lot for a church site, and also sold 
him two lots on which our first home on the Pacific Coast 
was erected. On the church lot a substantial church was 



G6 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

erected, of good seating capacity, and it was used by my 
father much of the time until we came to Seattle in i860. 

i\Ir. Willson was born in Charlestown. New Hampshire, 
April 14, 1805, being of English ancestry. Later he lived 
in Massachusetts for a number of years, learning the trade 
of a carpenter, and afterward became a ship-carpenter. 
About 1834, he began the study of medicine as opportunity 
offered, there being no regular medical college near him at 
that time. As mentioned heretofore, Dr. Elija White ar- 
rived in Oregon at the head of a considerable missionary 
party, among whom was Mr. Willson. 

They sailed from Boston, July 28, 1836, on the ship Ham- 
ilton, for the Sandwich Islands, arriving there late in the 
winter. They were compelled to remain there five months 
before an opportunity offered to get passage to the Columbia 
river. In the latter part of April, 1837, they sailed on the 
brig Diana, and arrived at Vancouver about a month later. 

Dr. White, in his "Ten Years in Oregon," gives some of 
the characteristics of his sailing companions. Of Willson, 
he says he was five feet, ten inches in height, cheerful, 
sympathetic, and affectionate, fond of relating old sea- 
stories, for he had been quite an experienced whaler. A 
peculiar characteristic, and a strange one for a man, was 
an almost childish partiality for cats ; and as there were 
none on board, he made a pet of a beautiful kid, whose head 
he would comb for an hour together, talking to it the while 
as though it was a human being." 

Mr. Willson at once set to work to get the goods of the 
party up the Willamette river, and continued to lead an 
active life in the work of the Mission, especially in the 
mechanical department, where there was always plenty to 
do. 

He did not take part in the earliest steps toward the form- 
ation of the provisional government in Oregon, in 1841, as 
he was then at Nisqually, but at a meeting at the Oregon 
Institute, February 2, 1843, he was present and was one of 
six to outline a plan of procedure, and to notify the people 



WILLIAM HOLDEN WILLSON. 67 

of a meeting appointed for the first Monday in March, fol- 
lowing. Not much was accomplished at that appointed 
meeting, but at one held at "Champooick," May 2, 1843, an 
organization was effected. Dr. J. L. Babcock was chosen 
chairman, and Messrs. Gray, LeBreton and Willson, secre- 
taries. A list of officers was named, consisting of supreme 
judge, clerk of court, sheriff, three magistrates and three 
constables, and a treasurer. Joe. Meek, whom Mrs. Victor 
has immortalized in her book "River of the West," was 
chosen sheriff, and William H. Willson, treasurer. 

In February, 1844, an affray between an Indian desperado 
and six of his companions and a party of whites took place 
at the Willamette Falls, or Oregon City. The leader of the 
Indians was killed and several others wounded, and three 
whites wounded slightly, as it was at the time supposed, but 
two young men, LeBreton and Rogers, died the next day 
from the effects of poisoned arrows, and our friend Willson, 
after considerable suffering, recovered without permanent 
injury. A few days later a meeting was called of which Mr. 
Willson was chairman, at which it was decided to organize 
a volunteer company of mounted riflemen, to co-operate 
with other companies, to bring to justice all the Indians 
engaged in the affair mentioned above, and to protect the 
lives and property of the settlers against similar assaults in 
future. 

One of the first acts of the first Oregon legislature is dated 
December 24, 1844, and grants to "L. H. Judson and W. H. 
Willson, and their successors, the right to construct a mill- 
race from the northern branch of the Santiam river to the 
eastern branch of the small stream which runs to and drives 
the mills at Chemeketa, formerly owned by the Alethodist 
Espiscopal Mission." 

The first woolen mill in Oregon, and, I think, the first on 
the Pacific Coast, was built on the banks of this little stream, 
later called "Mill Creek." Our home was a few hundred 
feet from it, and it was rich in numerous "swimming holes," 
where the small boys of those early days disported them- 



68 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

selves in safety until they had "learned to swim," when they 
went to the Willamette river to spend all the spare time 
their hard-hearted parents would allow them from their 
tasks at home and their books at school. It was in this 
"crick" the writer learned the art of natation. Our old 
friend, INT. M. McCarver, the founder of Tacoma, was 
speaker of the first legislature, of which there was but one 
house, and he signed the bill granting said "charter," as it 
was then called. 

Willson was one of the Loan Commissioners of the Pro- 
visional government in 1848, to raise funds to prosecute the 
Indian war, which was undertaken to punish the Cayuses for 
the murder of Doctor Whitman and his wife and nearly a 
dozen others the preceding year at Waiilatpu. He was also 
a member of the Oregon Exchange Company, which coined 
$57,500 in five and ten dollar pieces in 1S49. ^t Oregon City, 
known as "Beaver" money, from the figure of that indus- 
trious animal, proper emblem for those days, that was 
stamped upon the coins. This was the first coinage in 
American territory on the Pacific Coast. The writer saw a 
good many of these coins in his boyhood days but they are 
now quite rare, and highly prized by their fortunate owners. 
They were made of the natural gold, and in consequence, 
were a light yellow in color, and being very soft quickly 
wore oflf smooth if long in circulation. 

March 15, 1842, the "Oregon Institute" was established 
near Salem, under the management of the Methodist Church. 
After some delays and considerable negotiation a large 
building that had been put up for an Indian mission school, 
was secured. It stood near the present site of the Wil- 
lamette University, a few hundred feet south of the present 
state Capitol building in Salem. For more than sixty years 
this institution has done a grand work in educating and 
training the youth of our sister territory and state. Thou- 
sands of young people, and those who are no longer young, 
are proud to remember the time spent within the walls of 
the "Old Institute" and its successor, the University. Prof. 



"OLD MIKE SIMMONS." 69 

F. S. Hoyt, who returned in early days to his old home in 
Kentucky, was one of the early instructors there, Rev. Isaac 
I. Dillon and wife, who were well known on Puget Sound, a 
few years ago, also taught there; T. M. Gatch, for years 
President of the State University, in Seattle, was professor 
of foreign languages and mathematics there more than forty- 
five years ago, but one of our Nisqually friends of the long 
ago, Mrs. Chloe A. Willson, was the first teacher, and there- 
fore upon her devolves the lasting honor of being the first 
teacher of an American school for white children west of the 
Rocky Mountains. The school at that time was conducted 
as a boarding school, most of the pupils coming from a dis- 
tance and living at the institution. 

Mr. Willson took an active part in the affairs of the in- 
stitution for many years, it being intrusted to him, person- 
ally, to secure the title to the grounds, which he did by 
means of the Donation Claim act; and in this connection 
a vexatious and long-standing dispute arose with the school 
board, that is not pertinent to this story. 

He had completed his medical studies on shipboard, on 
the long voyage out from Boston, under the instruction of 
Dr. White, himself an educated and skillful physician and 
surgeon, and about 1843, he became Doctor Willson and 
entered into active practice, continued until a few years be- 
fore his death, which occurred April 17, 1856. Mrs. Will- 
son lived until June 2, 1874, having spent her later years 
with her daughter in Portland, who married a well-known 
business man of that city, H. K. Gill. 

Thus the man who laid the foundation for the first Ameri- 
can home by the beautiful waters of this inland sea, also 
helped to lay the foundations broad and deep of the great 
sister commonwealth that lies just across the "Oregon" of 
Thanatopsis. 

To Michael Simmons, Colonel by courtesy, he having held 
that rank in the Independent Oregon Company in 1841, 
while crossing the plains, and to all old settlers, "Mike," be- 
longs the honor of being the leader of the first permanent 



70 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

American settlers on Ptiget Sound. In July, 1845, ^'^^^ 
George Wanch and William Shaw and a party of others 
come over from Vancouver ^o the Sound. In August they 
made a canoe trip down as far as the north end of Whidby 
Island, returning by the east side of that island, and then 
going back to their families at Vancouver. A new party 
was organized, consisting of M. T. Simmons, and family, 
James McAllister and family, David Kindred and family, 
Gabriel Jones and family, George Bush and family, and 
Jesse Ferguson, Reuben Crowder and Samuel B. Crockett. 
They had to cut a road from the Cowlitz Landing to the 
prairie near the present town of Centralia. This consumed 
two weeks and made it near the close of October before 
they reached the site of Tumwater, at the head of salt water 
above Olympia. Simmons was attracted by the water power 
of the Deschuttes, then called The Shutes. 

In 1846, he built there a grist mill which would grind 
wheat but not bolt it. The stones were chiseled out of gran- 
ite boulders found on the beach. In 1847, Simmons, Frank 
Shaw, Edmond Sylvester, A. B. Rabbeson, Gabriel Jones, 
Jesse Ferguson, John Kindred and A. D. Conifix built a 
saw mill near the lower part of the falls at the same place, 
and this was the first mill of the kind on Puget Sound. 

At the time of the re-organization of the Provisional Gov- 
ernment in July, 1845, the territory north of the Columbia 
river was formed into Vancouver district. James Douglas, 
then one of the Board of Control of the Hudson's Bay Com- 
pany, James Forrest, officer in charge of the P. S. Agri- 
cultural Company's Affairs at Cowlitz Farms, and Colonel 
Simmons were named as the first three commissioners or 
county judges. Lewis county was organized that winter 
and embraced all the territory north of the Columbia and 
west of the Cowlitz rivers, and at the succeeding election 
in June, 1846 Doctor William F. Tolmie, chief Trader at 
Nisqually, was elected the first representative. Thus, it 
will be seen that the Hudson's Bay Company officers were 
in control of affairs of the young community, as well as of 



PIONEER LIFE IN 1846. 71 

its business afifairs ; in fact, but for this Company these 
pioneer settlers would have been on the verge of starvation 
much of the time for several years. 

Often, I come across ill-natured remarks regarding- its 
treatment of the early settlers, and the descendants of these 
early settlers have been among the offenders in this par- 
ticular. No greater falsehoods could have been told. It is 
claimed that Dr. McLgughlin and the other officers of the 
Company endeavored to dissuade Simmons and party from 
coming to the Sound. This may be true. It would be quite 
natural, and no matter of criticism. The trading, farming 
and stockraising operations of the two companies were large 
and immensely profitable, and it was quite natural they 
should desire to retain them, but when it became apparent 
that Simmons and party had decided to come, instead of 
showing any ill nature or pique the good Doctor set to work 
to aid them in many ways. He gave orders on Forrest at 
Cowlitz, and on Tolmie at Nisqually to furnish them on 
credit with several hundred bushels of grain and ten or a 
dozen head of cattle at twelve dollars per head. For years 
this system of credits was continued to all who proved 
worthy of it, and in addition the Company made work for 
them it could very well have left undone. 

James McAllister was the first to take a claim away from 
the prairies near Deschuttes. He was, also, among the 
first to be killed by the Indians in the war of 1855-6. With 
the consent of the Indians, he took his claim in the Nis- 
qually bottom, not far from the council ground of the tribe 
of that name. 

Mrs. Hartman, daughter of James McAllister wrote sev- 
eral years ago a long article from which are selected the 
following paragraphs : 

"We had all kinds of game, which was more plentiful than 
the tame stock now, fish and clams, dried and fresh, the 
Indians showing us how to prepare them, but we never suc- 
ceeded in learning the art of drying them. We were suc- 
cessful in drying fruits, the Indians' mode requiring no 
sugar. For vegetables we had lackamas, speacotes, and 



72 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

numerous other roots. We children learned to like the 
Indian food so well that we thought we could not exist with- 
out it. We kept a supply as long as we could get it, but T 
have not seen any for many years. 

"In 1846, mother disliking to stay alone while father was 
building, he laughingly told her he had seen two big stumps 
side by side, and that if she would live in them he would 
take her with him. Mother told him she would go, so father 
scraped out the stumps and made a roof, and mother moved 
in with her six children. She found it very comfortable, 
the burnt out roots making such nice cubby-holes for stow- 
ing away things. Mother continued to live in her stump 
house until father built a house, the work being necessarily 
slow, for father had but few tools." 

To one familiar with the big cedar stumps of Nisqually 
bottom, this charming little story will not seem improbable. 

This home was not far from Nisqually, and one day Mrs. 
McAllister went to see Mrs. Huggins, and at that time gave 
an account of the hardships of the trip to the Sound. They 
grew short of provisions so that the children were crying 
from hunger, somewhere on the Cowlitz trail, between the 
Company's store near the mouth of that stream where Mon- 
ticello afterward stood and the Cowlitz Farm. Here Mr. 
John Work, father of Mrs. Huggins, met them on his way 
to Fort Vancouver from Fort Simpson, away up on the 
North-west Coast, where he had an important post. Mr. 
Work was a tender hearted man and appreciated the pitiful 
condition of the poor mother and her children. He promptly 
unloaded his packhorse and gave Mrs. McAllister all that 
was left of the plentiful supply of provisions he had secured 
at Nisqually, enough to last them until they could reach the 
Company's farm at Cowlitz. This kindness Mrs. McAllister 
had not forgotten, and showed much pleasure in telling of it 
to his daughter. Somebody put a story afloat a few years 
ago that it was the noted Indian Leschi who had performed 
this generous deed. 

A letter from Peter Skeen Ogden and James Douglas, of 
July 3, 1846, makes the first mention of the shingle busi- 
ness I have found, and it shows that the Company had pur- 



SHINGLE BUSINESS, 1846. 73 

chased shingles previous to that date. Here is the para- 
graph : "If it would be any accommodation you may ship 
the shingles on hand at Nisqually and all the last year's 
salmon at Victoria to the Sandwich Islands by the Rosa- 
lind, paying one and one-half dollars per barrel for the sal- 
mon or per thousand shingles ; or, if there be any oppor- 
tunity of selling the shingles to advantage you are at liberty 
to dispose of them." Simmons, McAllister and party ar- 
rived in October, 1845, and already the shingles made by 
them had begun to accumulate in July, 1846. 

A summary of these purchases after February, 1847, taken 
off the old books of the Company by Mr. Huggins, shows an 
aggregate of 11 50 thousand, for which not less than three 
dollars per thousand and from that to ten dollars were paid. 
As it is practically a roster of the settlers in that region at 
that time, I give the names : T. M. Glasgow, William Pack- 
wood, Joshua Melvin, Gabriel Jones, George Bush, M. T. 
Simmons, Jesse Ferguson, James McAllister, William O. 
Bush, Charles Eaton, Maurice Jones, Franklin Shaw, Ben- 
jamen Gordon, Williamson, Tyrell & Melvin, Jon- 
athan Logan, Evans, Gordon & Buchanan, Redwood Easton, 
Henry Evans, A. M. Poe, Samuel Davis. David Kindred, L. 
A. Smith, Samuel Crockett, D. D. Kinsey, Edmund Syl- 
vester, A. B. Rabbeson, George Shazer, George Brail, C. 
Obrist, Joseph Broshears, Lewis Jones, Luther M. Collins, 
John Bradley, Joseph Borst, A. T. Simmons. 

In 1885, the writer bought of Schwabacher Bros. & Co. 
good shaved shingles at two dollars and twenty-five cents 
per thousand, and on them the firm made a good profit and 
the makers made good wages. This shows that the early 
settlers had no reason to go hungry, when they could make 
from five to fifteen dollars per day shaving shingles. Of 
the amount named above James McAllister is credited with 
two hundred and twenty thousand, or nearly one-fifth the 
whole number, and for 35^ thousand he was paid at the rate 
of ten dollars. 

Doctor Tolmie inaugurated this traffic and nothwith- 



74 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

standing large shipments were made to the Sandwich Is- 
lands and to other places at times the stock on hand reached 
large proportions. Along in 1849, he grew apprehensive 
the Company would suffer loss. He wrote to James Doug- 
las, then his superior officer, telling him the condition of 
the business and asking orders as to whether he should 
reduce the price or discontinue buying them. Mr. Douglas 
replied, "We must assist these poor people and cannot see 
them suffer for want of the necessaries of life." He in- 
structed Doctor Tolmie to continue buying shingles at the 
old price of three dollars, as it would in the long run turn 
out all right. A market would be found for the shingles 
somewhere and he was confident the Company would suffer 
little or no loss by the transaction. 

Sure enough, in the beginning of 1850, the Sound country 
began to feel the effects of the mining of gold in California. 
In March the brig Sacramento, Capt. Alex. Monat, an old 
Hudson's Bay Company employee, arrived at Nisqually 
seeking a cargo of piles, lumber and shingles. He paid 
Luther M. Collins, then of Nisqually but later one of the 
first settlers in King County, three dollars each for one 
hundred and five small piles and Doctor Tolmie thirteen 
dollars per thousand for 121 thousand shingles. 

Capt. Monat obtained a limited supply of lumber from the 
little Tumwater mill, and for a time the prices ranged from 
sixty to one hundred dollars per thousand. 

The changed condition of affairs was not altogether in 
favor of the settlers. To be sure labor was largely in de- 
mand at big wages. Good axmen were paid five dollars per 
day, and whatever produce the struggling settlers had to 
spare brought them large prices. To offset this, breadstuffs 
and provisions generally, went up to famine prices. Flour 
reached forty to fifty dollars a barrel, and the demand outran 
the supply on this Coast, therefore shipments from New 
York and Boston were made around the Horn, and often 
when these barrels were opened the contents would be 
musty or sour. 



PRICES CURRENT AT NISQUALLY, 1845. 75 

How fairly the Company dealt in regard to prices of ar- 
ticles out of its store, the following list of advances made 
to the American settlers from Nov. 7, 1845, to December 31, 
1846, the period immediately following the arrival of Sim- 
mons and party, will show. The reader must not forget 
this was the only place these goods could be secured, in 
all this North-west, except at some other post of the Com- 
pany. These prices average twenty-five per cent, below 
those of today for similar articles, and were about one-half 
the rates prevailing in Oregon when we arrived there in 
1852 : — Six axes at one dollar, twenty-five cents ; one draw- 
ing knife at 90 cents ; 28 bushels of oats at 50 cents ; 43 
bushels of pease at 90 cents; 213]^ bushels potatoes at 25 
cents; 71 ^^ bushels wheat at 80 cents; i>4 bushels of buck- 
wheat at 60 cents ; I2>4 lbs. black wool at 16 cents ; 8 bul- 
locks at eighteen dollars ; 2 mares at thirteen dollars and 
fifty cents ; 25 lbs. salt-pork at ten cents ; 2^ doz. quinine 
powders at 50 cents ; 98 lbs. coffee at 25 cents ; 62 >^ gals, 
molasses at 55 cents; 90 lbs. brown sugar at I2>^ cents; 
115^ bushels of salt at 70 cents per bushel ; 1354 lbs. Congo 
tea at 70 cents; ^Ib. Epsom salts at 16 cents (this charge 
was four cents) ; 60 lbs. 3od Rose nails at 4 cents ; 40 lbs. 
2od clasp nails at 4 cents ; 16 lbs. lod clasp nails at 13 cents ; 
32 lbs. nails for bark covering at 2 cents per lb. ; 4^ doz. 
Kirby hooks at 6 cents; 7 lbs. gunpowder at 30 cents; 15 
lbs. ammunition (lead) at one cent per lb.; I5>2 lbs. twist 
tobacco at 40 cents; 84 1-3 lbs. leaf tobacco at 26 cents; 
one tin kettle $1.80; one gimlet four cents. 

With plenty of time and space at my disposal, I should 
use a great deal more of the old records and letters Mr. 
Huggins has placed at my disposal, but it is out of the ques- 
tion. The original letters that follow have more or less 
bearing upon matters referred to in this sketch, and at the 
same time will give the reader of today an insight to the 
manner of doing business out here at the times when they 
were written. Nearly every one of these was sent by special 
messenger from Vancouver to Nisqually. The messenger 



76 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

came down the Columbia and up the Cowlitz rivers by- 
canoe and from the Cowlitz Farm on horseback. It took 
from four to seven days for the trip one way, and no doubt 
cost from fifteen to twenty dollars for each express. 

xMr. A. C. Anderson, Vancouver, 21 July, 1841. 

Dear Sir: — I forward with this a letter for Commodore 
Wilkes, which you will please deliver and retain the In- 
dians till you see the Commodore as he may, perhaps, wish 
to send an answer. 

I found the letter I wrote to Mr. Yale from Nisqually 
had been put up with those for this place. I now send it 
and if the Cadboro has been with you, as I presume, you 
will endeavor if possible to send it by Indians to Mr. Yale. 

I say nothing about the work at your place as I have 
already mentioned my views in my former communication ; 
but I must observe that I hope you will take particular care 
that the cows are not so much milked as to injure the calves, 
as our main object is only at present to tame the cows, and 
raise as many calves as possible. 

I am. dear sir, yours truly, Q 

JOHN McL;^CUGHLIN. 

P. S. — Vizena's things will be sent him by a subsequent 
opportunity. There is an Indian woman, Madam Tetrean, 
lawfully married to one Tetrean ; but who ran away and 
left him, and this woman has lived with Vizena here, but 
if she goes to Nisqually vou will not allow her to live with 

^^"^- ' ' J. McL. 

My servant left a pair of my suspenders and a pair of 
trousers of mine at Nisqually. 

JOHN McLaughlin. 



Mr. A. C. Anderson, Vancouver, 22d Feby., 1841. 

Dear Sir : — I have to inform you that the Cowlitz, Capt. 
Brotchie, is arrived and by her we have accounts that 
Messrs. Francis Heron, Alex. Stewart, and A. K. McLeod 
are no more ; but I am happy to be able to inform you that 
Europe is at peace. 

T am, dear sir, yours truly, 

"jOHN McL;^(aGHLIN. 



OLD LETTERS. 77 

Vancouver, 31 March, 1841. 
Mr. A. C. Anderson, 

Dear Sir : — This will be handed to you by the Revd. Jason 
Lee, whom I beg to introduce to your polite attentions, 
and request you will be so good as afford him such assist- 
ance as he may require. 

I am, very truly, 

JOHN McL\UGHLIN. 



Vancouver, 5 July, 1843. 
To Angus McDonald, 

Dear Sir: — This will be handed you by Dr. Tolmie, to 

whom you will please deliver the charge of Nisqually and 

all papers and information connected with the place ; and 

when Dr. Tolmie can dispense with you, you will come here. 

I am, vours truly, Q 

JOHN McLfojGHLIN. 



Vancouver, 26 March, 1843. 
Dr. Tolmie, 

Dear Sir: — Yours of the i8th reached this today, with the 
accompanying letters and will be forwarded with our last 
express. 

I am happy to see you are removed to the new Fort, which 
in every way is the most convenient situation for you, be- 
sides being one of the most pleasant situations in the Indian 
country. 

I was aware, a long time ago, of the difficulty of getting 
work done as it ought, nay impossibility of doing so, but 
situated as we are it is impossible to get along without them 
(Indians), though I am fully aware they are the dearest 
and worst servants we have, yet we never can get enough 
of others to make us independent of them. The best is, as 
you know, for Mr. Heath to do is to humour them ; if he 
begins by being strict he never will get on with them. I 
hope he is satisfied with the stock. Pray are the sheep poor 
or in good condition? 

I am certain there have been more cattle killed at Nis- 
qually than we are aware of, and here also. I hope you will 
be able to find out who shot at the steer that was wounded. 

Yours truly, JOHN McL^UGHLIN. 



78 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

Vancouver, 27th Sept., 1845. 
Dr. Tolmie, 

Dear Sir : — This will be handed to you by Col. Symonds, 
(Simmons) who is going with some of his friends to settle 
at the falls at the Chute River. He has applied to me to 
get an order on you for grain and potatoes, but I presume 
you have not more than you need for your own use. If 
you have any to spare please let him have what he demands 
and charge it to home (Vancouver). Col. Symonds and 
his friends passed the winter in our vicinity. They have 
been employed by us in making shingles and procuring logs. 
They have all conducted themselves in a most neighborly, 
friendly manner, and I beg to recommend them to your kind 
assistance and friendly offices. 

I am, yours truly, Q 

JOHN McL;«^UGHLIN. 



Vancouver, 9 Oct., 1845. 
Dr. Tolmie, 

Dear Sir : — The Cadboro is to proceed in tow of the 
steamer to Nisqually, and both are to be employed till 
further orders in taking cattle and sheep to Fort Victoria. 
It would be desirable to send forty head of oxen, which will 
be fit to kill next year, and a thousand of the finest wool 
sheep with their rams, and two hundred wethers, which I 
mention that you may know our views. It will be necessary 
that one of your most experienced shepherds go with the 
sheep. I merely mention these in case of Air. Douglas not 
knowing your instructions about them already. 

As the steamer is limited in her time it will be necessary 
every precaution be taken that she be detained as little 
time as possible at Nisqually, as if we can get more than 
that quantity to Victoria, so much the better. 

I am, yours truly, 

JOHN McLaughlin. 



Fort Vancouver, 26 Sept., 1846. 
Dr. Tolmie, 

Dear Sir: — Mr. Simmons having applied to us for a sup- 
ply of flour, you will please to order about thirty barrels 
from Fort Victoria, for the purpose of supplying that de- 



OLD LETTERS. 79 

mand, and you may take shingles, at the usual price, in 
payment, always taking care not to allow him nor any of 
his people to get involved in debt. 

We have given Mr. Simmons a crank and other irons for 
a saw mill, of which Mr. Forrest will send you an account 
and the weight, such irons being charged by the pound, and 
you will carry it to his account, at the rate of twenty cents 
per pound. 

We have promised to take shingles from Simmons' people 
for the coming winter at former prices ; they have spoken to 
us about getting sheep and cattle on shares and also for pur- 
chase, but we have given them no encouragement to expect 
a compliance with their wishes on that point. 

As soon as the steam vessel arrives, she will be employed 
as last year in transporting cattle to Fort Victoria, and you 
will please to make the necessary preparations for that pur- 
pose. 

Accompanying you will receive notes of hand as follows : 
— David Kindred, $6.74; Gabriel Jones, $82.93; M. T. Sim- 
mons, $53.43; James McAllister, $24.31, being the amount 
of their Vancouver accounts when they left this place last 
year. As soon as they have paid the amount due, you will 
return these notes to the drawers. Charge no interest on 
the notes, as they have been making payments on their ac- 
counts for many months past, and the sum is so small that 
the interest is not worth charging. 

With best wishes, yours truly, 

PETER SKEEN OGDEN, 
JAMES DOUGLAS. 

This letter is the handwriting of James Douglas. 



Fort Vancouver, 22d May, 1846. 
Dr. Tolmie, 

Dear Sir: — We have just heard through Mr. Jackson, the 
SherifT, that you had lately been over to Newmarket, and 
announced your intention of presenting yourself, at the ap- 
proaching election, as a candidate for the county of Lewis, 
a most satisfactory piece of intelligence, as until it reached 
us, we were uncertain whether you had taken any steps 
towards the attainment of the object recommended in our 



80 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

letter of the nth April. We are informed that all the 
Americans of Newmarket are disposed to give their suff- 
rages in favor of Mr. Jackson, whom we firmly believe to 
be a good worthy man ; and were it not for other considera- 
tions we should have no objection to their choice; but you 
know it would not be proper or appear right to the world, 
that we who possess a prevailing influence, and hold so 
large a share of the property of the County should allow 
a fragment of the population to represent and legislate for 
the interests of the whole. 

The election is to take place on Monday the first day of 
June, and the polls to be opened by the judges of election, 
at the several precincts, as stated in the letter of the Clerk 
of Court, which Mr. Jackson will forward ; say, one at Mr. 
Forrest's house, Cowlitz, one at Mr. Simmond's house, 
Newmarket, and one at Mr. Tolmie's house, Nisqually. The 
poll is merely a register of the voters' names, to be kept by 
the Judge of Election, to which office I have appointed Mr. 
Heath of your precinct. 

The pollbook should be returned to this place under seal, 
as pointed out in the "Election Notice" on the fourth page 
of the 7th number of the Oregon Spectator herewith. 

The number of qualified voters at Nisqually is 16, as per 
statement herewith. Besides their votes for the return of a 
member of the legislature, you will also submit the proposed 
amendment in the land law ; and take the sense of the peo- 
ple as to the manner of electing Judges of County Courts, 
whether by the people or by the House of Representatives. 
On the first point, we intend to oppose the amendment of 
the land law, as it is, in all circumstances, dangerous to 
tamper with and make inroads on fundamental institu- 
tions, and more so in a new country, where things have not 
assumed a settled form, nor had time to take hold on the 
affections of the people. The law in its present state is cer- 
tainly not perfect, neither is the amendment calculated to 
improve it. 

On the second point, the sense of this county is decidedly 
in favour of the Judges being elected by the people, in their 
several counties. These things we mention for your in- 
formation, trusting that the feeling in your county will be 
found akin to that of ours. 

We think that a majority of the suffrages of the people at 
the Cowlitz will be given in your favor, as we intend to 
lend vou all our influence. 



ATTACK ON FORT NISQUALLY. 81 

Referring you to the accompanying number of the Oregon 
Spectator, we remain, dear sir, yours truly, 

PETER SKEEN OGDEN. 
JAMES DOUGLAS. 



Fort Vancouver, 4 Novr., 1846. 

To Dr. Tolmie, 

Dear Sir : — We have to acknovv^ledge your letter of the 

23d Octr., with the accompanying documents, which were 

found correct and satisfactory. A bill against the Fisgard, 

for postage of Captain Duntze's letters to Fort George, was 

forwarded to you some time ago, of which we can discover 

no traces in your documents, from whence we fear it has 

been entirely overlooked, and not brought forward in your 

statement with Mr. Rames. Pray examine into that matter 

and let us know the result. The amount of the bill was 

$18.53- 

The Barque Toulon arrived lately in the river with very 

important intelligence from the Sandwich Islands. It ap- 
pears that the Oregon Boundary is finally settled, on a basis 
more favorable to the United States than we had reason to 
anticipate. We forward with this copy of communication 
from Sir George Seymour, Commander-in-Chief in the Pa- 
cific, to our agents at the Sandwich Islands, which contains 
all that is at present known to us relative to the Boundary 
Treaty. Business will, of course, go on as usual, as the 
treaty will not take effect on us for many years to come. 

You will please get as many shingles ready to ship by the 
Columbia as possible, which may be shipped by the Beaver 
to Victoria, as we have not yet a sufficient cargo for both 
ships. Inform the shingle makers of this, and that they 
will be allowed 4 dollars a thousand for all they can deliver 
between this and the sailing of the ships, but the old prices 
only will be paid afterwards. 

You will please to send six men or engaged Indians im- 
mediately to clear the road in the two points of wood be- 
tween the Nisqually River and Bute Plain, which are nearly 
impassable for loaded horses ; another party will be em- 
ployed at the Cowlitz end of the Portage, under Mr. Sangs- 
ter, who will afterwards proceed to Nisqually to relieve you 
for a time as your presence here will be required on or be- 
fore the first day of December, to attend the Legislature, and 



82 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

yon will please to take your measures accordingly, using 
every exertion to be here by the time specified. 

With best wishes, yours truly, 

PETER SKEEN OGDEN. 
JAMES DOUGLAS. 



The first term of court held on Puget Sound was convened 
at Steilacoom on the last Monday in October, 1849, the Ore- 
gon chief justice Bryant, presiding. This was brought about 
by a tragedy that took place under the walls of Fort Nis- 
qually. In May of that year one hundred or more Snoqual- 
mie and Skeywamish Indians visited Fort Nisqually with 
the ostensible purpose of ascertaining whether the reports 
in circulation among them of the cruel treatment of a mem- 
ber of their tribe, a sister of Patkanim, who had married 
a Nisqually Indian named Wyamoch, were true or not. 
These Indians were among the most warlike of the native 
tribes on the Sound, and the other tribes to the southward 
of them feared them greatly. 

At the time of the advent of the Snoqualmies, a large 
number of the Nisquallies were camped near the Fort, and 
these sought protection within its palisades. The Fort had 
been moved from its original location near the brow of the 
hill to what is still known as the fort in 1842-3, the new 
location being far more advantageous for many reasons, 
the chief of which being its proximity to an abundant supply 
of pure, running water. The original fort was surrounded 
by a high and strong stockade, but when the transfer was 
made it was omitted. When the news of the massacre of 
Whitman and party was received, coupled with the prob- 
ability of a bloody war to punish that crime, the Hudson's 
Bay people felt compelled to erect a stockade around the 
post then occupied. The Indians looked upon this action 
with disfavor, but a strong force was employed, most of 
them with arms by their sides during the progress of the 
work. The palisades were about twenty feet high ; at the 



ATTACK ON FORT NISQUALLY. 83 

north-west and south-east corners were large and very 
strong bastions, constructed of squared timbers twelve 
inches in diameter, impregnable to any attack of Indians 
armed only with their old-fashioned muzzle-loading guns. 
The bastions were three stories high, and armed with small 
cannon and small swivel guns. A dozen muskets and a 
good supply of ammunition were always kept in each of 
the bastions ready for immediate use. 

About noon the visiting Indians, fully armed, came up 
and took position in front of the water gate on the north 
side. It has always remained an open question whether 
their original purpose was an attack on the Fort or upon 
the Nisqually Indians, but, presumably, was the latter, with 
the intention of carrying ofif all the women and property 
they could get within their clutches. Two armed men were 
placed at the gate, and all the whites outside the enclosure, 
of whom there were several Americans, were called to come 
in the gate. At this, several of the Snoqualmies rushed for 
the gate, but were warned to keep away. Several shots were 
then fired and one Indian killed and two others wounded. 

For some reason two Americans, named Wallace and 
Lewis, did not come into the enclosure when the alarm was 
sounded, although they had plenty of time. They, perhaps, 
thought as they did not belong to the Fort they would not 
be harmed, but if so it was a fatal mistake, as Wallace was 
shot dead, and Lewis wounded in the arm. 

The Indians found the Fort too strong and well defended 
for them to capture, so they made off as rapidly as possible. 

This disturbance led to the sending of a company of ar- 
tillery around from Fort Vancouver to Steilacoom, this 
being the first advent of United States soldiers here. They 
were under command of Capt. B. Hill. 

On August 7, 1849, J- Q- Thornton, sub-Indian Agent for 
Oregon Territory, arrived at Fort Nisqually and immedi- 
ately proceeded to investigate the facts connected with the 
killing of Mr. Wallace. He sent messengers to Patkanim, 
and advised him to arrest the chief offenders and bring them 



84 ' PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

to Capt. Hill at Fort Steilacoom. He also offered a reward 
of eighty blankets if this were done within three weeks. 
Patkanim succeeded in inducing the tribe to give up six 
of its members, Kussass, Ouhlawot, Stullhahya, Juttain, 
Wyah and Qualthlinkyne. These were delivered to Capt. 
Hill, and by him turned over to Joe Meek, the United States 
Marshal. All six were indicted, but only the first two were 
convicted, and they were executed. Three of the others 
were mixed up in the aflfray but had no part in the killing, 
while the sixth was found not to have been on the ground, 
but had been brought along, he being a slave, whom the 
guilty chiefs hoped to place in their stead, to become a scape- 
goat. 

The result of this trial and execution had a good effect 
upon the Indians. The whole Snoqualmie tribe was present 
at the execution ; also a vast gathering of Indians from other 
tribes on Puget Sound, and they were made to understand 
that under the United States laws they would be punished 
for every murder they committed, and that no satisfaction 
would be accepted short of all who participated in the mur- 
der of white people. Judge A. P. Skinner was appointed 
United States District Attorney by Judge Bryant, to con- 
duct the trial, and David Stone was appointed Attorney 
for the defense. They had traveled two hundred miles from 
their homes, camping in the woods on the way, as did nearly 
all concerned in the trial. They all had to travel in canoes, 
batteaux, and on horse back, and of course the journey was 
one of hardship and fatigue. Many of the grand and petit 
jurors had to travel like distances and by the same methods. 
The total expense of holding this first term of court for the 
trial of these Indians was $1899.54, and the value of the 
blankets given as a reward $480 more, making in all 

$2379-54- 

One of the numerous farms of the Company was rented 
for the use of this military company. It had a considerable 
number of comfortable buildings on it that served the pur- 
pose of the company for some time. The United States paid 



OLD FORT STEILACOOM. 85 

the Company a yearly rental of six hundred dollars for 
nearly twenty years for the use of this place. When the 
Companies were finally paid for their holdings in Oregon 
and Washington a mile square enclosing this farm became 
a military reserve, and when it was abandoned as a military 
post it was sold to the Territory of Washington for a small 
sum, and was then devoted for the uses of the Territorial 
Hospital for Insane. The old quarters for the officers and 
soldiers were adequate for this purpose for many years, or 
nearly to the time of admission to statehood. This is where 
the present Hospital for Insane is situated. The first brick 
building was begun, I think, in 1886. 

Prior to the advent of American settlers here the Puget 
Sound Agricultural Company encouraged independent 
farmers to settle near Nisqually, and in 1844, Mr. Heath 
came over from Vancouver with letters of recommendation 
from Gov. McLaughlin, and he leased this farm and occu- 
pied it for many years, in fact, I think, until the coming 
of the American soldiers. 

William W. Miller was the first surveyor of customs on 
Puget Sound, and Nisqually being the only port at that 
time, he roomed and kept his office in the house built by 
the Company on the beach, and took his meals at the Fort 
on top of the hill. He had an excellent metallic boat and 
kept a crew of four or five men to use in traveling about 
the Sound. One of these, named Pocock, but who went 
by the name of Wilson, later, was one of the two men 
killed at the time of the Indian attack on Seattle. 

General Miller afterward married the daughter of Judge 
O. B. McFadden. His widow, Mrs. Mary M. Miller, and 
their two sons have long been residents of Seattle, and the 
sudden death of Penfield Miller, one of these sons, is still 
fresh in the memories of hundreds of loving friends in this 
City and his early home in Olympia. 

To the casual reader it will, no doubt, seem strange that 
so many extracts from other sources should have been in- 
cluded in this sketch of early events, but to the historian 



86 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

and those interested in historical matters the reason will 
be manifest. The time and labor bestowed upon the gath- 
ering of this matter from a hundred sources would have 
sufficed for the production of many times the amount of 
matter collected here. Tn one sense this sketch is "original 
history," for no large part of it has ever appeared in print, 
and much of the selections were found only after wide 
and diligent search in long forgotten newspapers or in old 
time books long out of print. So much in explanation — not 
in apology. 

The number of those who have lived on Puget Sound 
fifty years or more is small and rapidly growing less. 
Among them is my friend Edward Huggins, who lives on 
the site of Fort Nisqually, where he came a young man five 
and fifty years ago. He occupies a unique position, con- 
necting, as he does, the old regime and the new. 

To him I am indebted for countless favors in the matter 
of historical information. Old papers and old records have 
been placed freely at my disposal, and in addition by cor- 
respondence he has given me historical material that I have 
been able to use but in small part in this sketch. He is a 
veritable mine of information regarding early days. 

My first recollections of him began about 1866, when I 
went to live in Olympia and for years frequently saw him 
riding between that place and his home at Nisqually. 

Mr. Huggins was born in Southwark, a borough of Lon- 
don, England, June 10, 1832. Beginning school at an early 
age he continued until in his fifteenth year when he entered 
a broker's office within a stone's throw of the Hudson's 
Bay Company's office in Fenchurch street. Through the 
influence of Mr. Benjamin Harrison, one of the directors 
of that Company, he obtained a situation in its service, and 
on the loth of October, 1849, he sailed from London on the 
Company's ship, Norman Morrison, for Fort Victoria, Van- 
couver Island, and arrived at his destination late in March, 
1850. 

James Douglas was then in charge at that place, and sent 



EDWARD HUGGINS. 87 

the youth to Nisqually, where he arrived by the Httle trad- 
ing schooner Cadboro, April 13, 1850. Dr. Tolmie was in 
charge at that place. He set the new arrival at work in the 
Company's store or "trade shop," as they called it. Set- 
tlers were few and Indians numerous, so most of the trade 
was with the latter. At that time the Company's business 
was much hampered by the loss of most of its white em- 
ployees, who had been attracted to California by the gold 
excitement. It had then about seven thousand cattle, ten 
thousand sheep and three hundred horses. Nearly all the 
white men, with the aid of a large crew of Indians had to 
take care of the stock, while the store business fell largely 
upon young Huggins. He quickly learned the Chinook 
jargon and a smattering of the native language, and young 
as he was became very serviceable. Here he continued 
until after the breaking out of the Indian war in 1855, when 
the servants of the Company who looked after the live 
stock became frightened and abandoned their posts. Mr. 
Huggins volunteered to head a party and take charge of the 
stock. He picked up a cosmopolitan crew of English, Irish, 
Scotch, Canadians, Kanakas, Indians, half-breeds and one 
negro, and went to the Company's farm at Muck, about ten 
miles east of the Fort. They had no great fear of the 
Indians, except a band of renegades who had separated 
from the main body of hostiles and committed two murders 
and many depredations. The party remained at the farm 
until several years after the war ended. On the 21st of 
October, 1857, Mr. Huggins and Miss Letitia Work were 
united in marriage and they resided at Muck for about two 
years. 

Mrs. Huggins was the daughter of John Work, Esq., who 
has been mentioned elsewhere, and who attained high rank 
early in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company. 
Three others of his daughters became the wives of Chief 
Factors William F. Tolmie, Roderick Finlayson and James 
A. Grahame. The latter afterward became Chief Com- 
missioner. 



S8 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

In common with all the employees of the Company Mr. 
Huggins looked forward to advancement in the service but 
it was long in coming. Fort Nisqually was under the con- 
trol of the Agricultural Company and the parent company 
failed to give him his steps. At one time he was ordered 
to go to Fort Kamloops, on Thompson's river, but this 
was soon countermanded, as it was felt his life at Nis- 
qually had made his services valuable in the negotiations 
then pending regarding the compensation to be made by the 
United States for the Company's holdings in Washington 
Territory. 

In July, 1859, a little more than twenty-six years after 
his first arrival there, Dr. Tolmie and his family left Nis- 
qually and moved to Victoria, where he subsequently made 
his home. James Douglas, one of the Board of Manage- 
ment of the Western Department of the Hudson's Bay 
Company, having accepted the appointment of Governor of 
the Province, Dr. Tolmie succeeded him on the Board. 
Mr. Huggins thus succeeded to the charge of Nisqually 
and with his family at once removed from Muck. 

In June, 1870, the Puget Sound Agricultural Company sur- 
rendered the rights it claimed under the treaty of 1846, 
and Mr. Huggins was again ordered to get ready to move 
to a post in the interior of British Columbia, but his family 
had been increased by six sons, all still young, and he and 
his wife decided that the difficulties and perhaps dangers 
of the new post were so great that he had best resign from 
the Company's employ, which he accordingly did. 

He had become a citizen of the United States several 
years before, and as was quite natural, determined to re- 
main upon the place where he was then living and enter 
it as a pre-emption claim. This quarter section included 
the principal buildings of the old fort and the best of the 
land nearby. He expected to have to pay something for 
the buildings, but the Commission appointed later to ap- 
praise them reported the}^ were so old they would be value- 
less to move off the land, and so they finally came to him 



EDWARD HUGGINS. 89 

without compensation. They consisted of the historic 
building in which he still lives, that was put up in 1854, a 
smaller squared log dwelling house erected in 1843, and a 
lot of other out-buildings that show in the illustration. It 
took a long time to settle the many questions and conflicts 
arising out of the Company's claims in Pierce County, and 
in common with many others Mr. Huggins was long in 
getting the patent to his land claim. Later he bought other 
lands until he had about one thousand acres in a body, but 
of such sandy and gravelly nature as to be of small value, 
except for grazing. Here for many years he continued 
farming, stockraising and trading a little in furs, but the 
latter business gradually dwindled away to nothing. 

In the 'seventies he was given the unsolicited honor of 
a nomination for county commissioner on the Republican 
ticket and was elected by an overwhelming vote. He was 
re-elected twice to the same position, and in 1886, while 
serving as chairman of the Board was nominated for county 
auditor. The Democratic candidate was very popular and 
it seemed Mr. Huggins was the only man who could defeat 
him at the polls. A warm canvass ensued but Mr. Huggins 
was elected by a small majority. He then moved to Tacoma 
with his wife and the younger members of the family, while 
the elder boys remained at Nisqually to care for the farm 
and stock. He was re-elected two years later, and after serv- 
ing the four years he rested awhile and then became a mem- 
ber of one of the leading banks of Tacoma, in a short time 
becoming its vice-president. Here he remained until failing 
health compelled him to give up active work, when he and 
his family moved back to the old farm that is a part of the 
most historic spot in all Washington, save Fort Vancouver 
on the banks of the Columbia. Here he and his wife are 
living quietly in their declining days, in the enjoyment of 
the respect and love of all who know them. 

There is almost a virgin field for the historian and the 
story writer on Puget Sound. But little has been written 
of pioneer days following the arrival of the first American 



90 PIONEER REMINISCENCES. 

colony on the banks of the Deschutes, and still less of the 
years preceding, when the Hudson's Bay Company was the 
only representative of civilization. For three decades, at 
least, the few white people braved constant dangers, en- 
countered numberless hardships and endured ever-present 
privations, with stoical fortitude. They traversed pathless 
forests, crossed towering, rugged mountains, swam swollen 
rivers, and navigated all parts of this inland sea as far as 
Vancouver Island, the Fraser River, Queen Charlotte 
Island, or the mouth of the Straits of Fuca in an open canoe, 
often but one white man and an Indian crew. 

Of McDf(ughlin much has been written, and he richly 
deserves the tardy justice that later writers have done him; 
but there were other strong men of whom the reading public 
knows but little. James Douglas, Peter Skeen Ogden, Wil- 
liam Fraser Tolmie, Archibald McDonald, John Work and 
many others, who built the posts and conducted the im- 
portant operations of the Hudson's Bay and Puget Sound 
Agricultural Companies were no ordinary men, and they 
all left their impress upon the times of which I have en- 
deavored to write in this sketch. It is a difficult matter to 
obtain the information that is still extant of them and their 
work. They were emphatically men of action, and most of 
them left few personal papers. Their history was that of 
the Companies they served all the best years of their lives, 
and most of this history is still locked up in the musty 
vaults of the Company in Victoria or London, or has been 
borrowed and never returned by a noted California His- 
torian. 

It is one of my ambitions to get access to the old Hud- 
son's Bay records kept at Vancouver, Nisqually and Lang- 
ley, and then add to and amplify what I have here set out. 



LBJeX)6 



IN THE BEGINNING 



A SKETCH OF SOME EARLY EVENTS IN 

WESTERN WASHINGTON WHILE IT 

WAS STILL A PART OF 

"OLD OREGON." 



By clarence B. BAGLEY 



SEATTLE 
LOWMAN A HANFOKD 
STATIONKRY AND PRINTING CO. 
1905 



^'--^-'^^^'1 



